Juniperus squamata

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Juniperus squamata

Foliage of cultivar 'Meyeri'

Conservation status

Least concern

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Genus:	Juniperus
Species:	J. squamata

Binomial name

Juniperus squamata
Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don

Juniperus squamata, known as Singleseed Juniper and Flaky Juniper, is a juniper native to Himalaya and China, from northeastern Afghanistan east to western Yunnan in southwestern China, and with disjunct populations north to western Gansu and east to Taiwan. It grows at 1,600-4,900 m altitude.

It is a shrub (rarely a small tree) reaching 2-10 m tall (rarely 15 m), with flaky brown bark, and a prostrate to irregularly conical crown. The leaves are broad needle-like, 3-9 mm long, arranged in six ranks in alternating whorls of three, and often strongly glaucous blue-green in colour. The cones are berry-like, globose to ovoid, 4-9 mm long and 4-6 mm diameter, glossy black, and contain one seed; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3-4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring. It is largely dioecious, with pollen and seed cones produced on separate plants, but occasionally monoecious.

There are three varieties:

Juniperus squamata var. squamata - leaves mostly 5-9 mm. Throughout the mainland range.
Juniperus squamata var. fargesii - leaves mostly 3-5 mm. Confined to the eastern half of the range in China.
Juniperus squamata var. morrisonicola - leaves mostly 3-5 mm. Taiwan; sometimes treated as a distinct species Juniperus morrisonicola.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Juniperus squamata is widely grown as an ornamental plant in Europe and North America, valued for its bluish foliage, particularly brightly coloured in the cultivars 'Blue Carpet', 'Blue Star', and 'Meyeri'.