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Juniperus chinensis

Accession Count: 26
Common Name: Chinese juniper
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Family Name: Cupressaceae
Botanical Name: Juniperus chinensis
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics: Chinese juniper, or Juniperus chinensis, is an evergreen shrub/tree with dense foliage, dark green leaves and brown fruits. It grows 50’ high and 20’ wide in nature but may also appear as a shorter, shrubby form (4). The straight species is not often available commercially, but many cultivars are propagated and sold in the United States which offer a wide range of sizes and forms from upright trees, tall shrubs and groundcovers (4). It is typically pyramidal to conical in shape, with light brown bark. The leaves on juvenile tissue are awls while the leaves on adult tissue are scale-like (4) The species is dioecious with male plants producing catkin-like pollen cones and female plants producing seed-bearing cones that develop into fleshy, glaucous fruits with whitish coloring initially, and later developing a brownish color at maturity (4).
Compound: Jun chi
Geographic Origin: China
Ecozone Origin: Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Cultivation Notes: J. chinensis is cold hardy with USDA Hardiness rating of Zone 3-9. It is also well adapted to different soil textures being tolerant of coarse, fine, and medium textured soils. They are relatively drought tolerant and only require a moderate amount of water, between 12-23 inches of precipitation. This plant can be propagated by fruit/seed, cuttings.
Ethnobotany: Chinese juniper is not usually palatable to animals or humans but has been used in Slavic countries to create a liquor brewed from the leaves called Borovicka (5). Distillation of juniper leaves is used in many cultures as a treatment for cough, and as a source of anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiseptic and diuretic medicinal compounds (5).  Modern research suggests certain compounds in J. chinensis can prevent diabetes by altering the pathways involved in insulin-resistance (3, 6).
Height: 20 - 50 feet
Width: 6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate: Slow Growing
Grow Season: Spring
Flower Season: Spring
Color: White
Function: Screen
Spread: Non-spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Hardy
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:

  1. United States Department of Agriculture. NRCS. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/
  2. IT IS Report. https://www.itis.gov
  3. Jung, H.J., Seong, S.H., Ali, M.Y., Min, B.S., Jung, H.A., and Choi, J.S. “a-methyl artoflavanocoumarin from Juniperus chinensis exerts anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting PTP1B and activating thr PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells”. PubMed. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29177868
  4. Missouri Botanic Garden http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d851 accessed January 14, 2019.
  5. Salamon, I. and Tarawneh, A.H. (2020). Ethnobotany of common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) in Slovakia. Acta Hortic. 1274, 167-171
  6. Jung, Hee & Seong, Su Hui & Min, Byung-Sun & Jung, Hyun & Choi, Jae. (2017). α-Methylartoflavanocoumarin from Juniperus chinensis exerts anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting PTP1B and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Archives of Pharmacal Research. 40. 1403-1413. 10.1007/s12272-017-0992-0.

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Juniperus chinensis