Anyone South of NY successful with common juniper?

Paradox

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As the title states, anyone south of NY have any experience with common juniper - juniperous communis

Apparently they are a northern species so not sure they will be ok where I am or if its too warm and humid here

If I have to ask. Im thinking it probably wouldnt be a good idea to try one

Actually just did some more research and apparently they are native to Long Island but they dont seem to be common
 
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TN_Jim

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I don’t really see them as varieties in the nursery trade here. However, I’ve heard of them in TN but wondering if that’s an East Tennessee deal. Seems someone on BN said they were wild here...not so sure about that.

Virginia and NC I believe they are much more prominent...again, is this elevation or golden? To play safe or less kid-gloving would think keep to zone six or lower regarding ..? Was that what you were seeing?

@Paradox i know that hardiness is a relative thing of sorts, but how the hell are we both in 7a!!? Ya seem so farther up there...maps..

&...you’re welcome....seems I just said so much to say I dunno 🤷‍♀️ 😂❄️😂

This here thread at first glance initially reminded me of this (post #3) and I thank you for
 

PA_Penjing

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Native down here too, but just like you guys, I don't ever see them. Not growing wild and not for sale. Only way I'd be able to get one is through sheffield's seeds, but I hear they are fickle to work with, who knows
 

Paradox

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I don’t really see them as varieties in the nursery trade here. However, I’ve heard of them in TN but wondering if that’s an East Tennessee deal. Seems someone on BN said they were wild here...not so sure about that.

Virginia and NC I believe they are much more prominent...again, is this elevation or golden? To play safe or less kid-gloving would think keep to zone six or lower regarding ..? Was that what you were seeing?

@Paradox i know that hardiness is a relative thing of sorts, but how the hell are we both in 7a!!? Ya seem so farther up there...maps..

&...you’re welcome....seems I just said so much to say I dunno 🤷‍♀️ 😂❄️😂

This here thread at first glance initially reminded me of this (post #3) and I thank you for


I am on the coast so my temperatures are moderated by the giant temperature sink we call the ocean.
Warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than even 20 miles inland from us.

I drive out on the LIE with the windows open in the summer and I can actually feel the temperature change when I hit a certain point
 

HorseloverFat

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I see lots of them. ;)

Dune and prairie habitat here, mostly.

I’ve also seen them for sale at landscape nurseries.

🤓
 

Paradox

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I see lots of them. ;)

Dune and prairie habitat here, mostly.

I’ve also seen them for sale at landscape nurseries.

🤓

yea they seem to be more common in your neck of the woods.
some of the info I found says they like dry, cool climate but then I found the are native to here which isnt dry in the summer. its fairly humid
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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If you get cold winters, they should be fine.
The thing with communis is that they are poor reproducers, low germination rate, seeds don't spread far either. So it's very well possible that they're native to your area and you'll never see one in the wild in your lifetime.
We have stands over 100 years old, with roughly 30 plants, so a couple thousand seeds a year, that produce three or four seedlings in a 5 hectare area.

If you think about buying seeds, make sure you check your local herb rack at the super market. The berries are pretty common in Europe as a spice. I got myself a pretty decent bag for a couple bucks, as opposed to the seeds that cost a multitude. You just have to soak and clean them though, which explains why they can be so expensive.

Slow growers, terrible response about root work, brittle wood, but I love them.
 

Tidal Bonsai

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I don’t own any, but I have seen people collect and train them around my area in NJ. This is a video about one from a more northern club:


They are usually straight and young where I am, so I personally don’t bother. To each his own.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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I don’t own any, but I have seen people collect and train them around my area in NJ. This is a video about one from a more northern club:


They are usually straight and young where I am, so I personally don’t bother. To each his own.
This is not a communis.
Communis is a needle juniper.

Now other junipers like virginia and scopulorum are pretty common in some places, I know. But the communis is the only one that legally holds the name 'common juniper'.
 

Tidal Bonsai

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This is not a communis.
Communis is a needle juniper.

Now other junipers like virginia and scopulorum are pretty common in some places, I know. But the communis is the only one that legally holds the name 'common juniper
This is not a communis.
Communis is a needle juniper.

Now other junipers like virginia and scopulorum are pretty common in some places, I know. But the communis is the only one that legally holds the name 'common juniper'.
I always thought they were because we don’t have any other native junipers that grow wild around here. I could be mistaken though.
 

sorce

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My first thought was they are as Common in Bonsai as ERC, or less. Makes me wonder why you are considering them, I thought I recently read you weren't trying to get any more trees? Oh, yeah, we all say that!

I found some planted on the steep rocky clay hill of a drainage ravine at a Baseball Park. Really dry.

They put on more Juniper like wood than ERC. It's prettier. The foliage is nice too.

Sorce
 

Paradox

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. Makes me wonder why you are considering them, I thought I recently read you weren't trying to get any more trees? Oh, yeah, we all say that!



Sorce
I saw a nice one for sale and Im considering it lol
Thats kinda where Im at with trees. Not buying any unless its a nice tree that and/or a species Im looking for.
I think some of us do try to upgrade our collections when we can, if we can
 
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My first posting with this group, I own Mountain Meadows Nursery (tinycones.com), western North Carolina 2,000+ft elev. Been growing and selling and installing since 1981. We propagate 5 varieties (no species). Checked w/Morton Arb and Wikipedia...Largest geographical range of any woody plant. Range: North America, Europe/Asia/ and relic populations Atlas Mtn Africa...For us in southeast we want to make sure early morning sun to dry dew to prevent fungal problems on foliage other than that good Zone 2 - 8, acid to alkaline soil, drought tolerant. Don't like wet feet....hope this helps..
 

Paradox

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My first posting with this group, I own Mountain Meadows Nursery (tinycones.com), western North Carolina 2,000+ft elev. Been growing and selling and installing since 1981. We propagate 5 varieties (no species). Checked w/Morton Arb and Wikipedia...Largest geographical range of any woody plant. Range: North America, Europe/Asia/ and relic populations Atlas Mtn Africa...For us in southeast we want to make sure early morning sun to dry dew to prevent fungal problems on foliage other than that good Zone 2 - 8, acid to alkaline soil, drought tolerant. Don't like wet feet....hope this helps..

What is your humidity like where you are in the summer?
Thanks for posting
 
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Let's talk about rainfall = humidity. Average rain fall is 47inches/ yr...this year we passed 67 inches in late October and yet it keep raining another 12 to 18 inches up through today...so plenty of humidity to go around...year round...
 

Paradox

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Let's talk about rainfall = humidity. Average rain fall is 47inches/ yr...this year we passed 67 inches in late October and yet it keep raining another 12 to 18 inches up through today...so plenty of humidity to go around...year round...
I was thinking more along the lines of relative humidity in the summer. Yes more rainfall will have more humidity. One of the things I read about the species was they seemed to occur in slightly drier areas and we have some decent humidty here for a temperate zone being Im right on the coast. The problem is the info is conflicting. Their supposed range is a slightly higher in latitude and cool and dry. yet I read they are native to my area so... *shrug*
Thanks for the replies
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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The sandy heathes where they grow around here have a daytime humidity close to zero in the summer. It's like a localized desert. But they also grow near the forest edge and can live up to 50 years past the point where the woodlands engulf their habitat.
In a sense, they're bullet proof. As long as you don't touch those roots.
 

Paradox

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The sandy heathes where they grow around here have a daytime humidity close to zero in the summer. It's like a localized desert. But they also grow near the forest edge and can live up to 50 years past the point where the woodlands engulf their habitat.
In a sense, they're bullet proof. As long as you don't touch those roots.

OK so how does one deal with repotting? As infrequently as possible? or just make sure to be careful after repotting to give them a chance to recover (probably the better answer?)
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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I do repotting as careful as possible. No large cuts on the roots, but even young nursery stock can go belly up if it's too much. I kind of rely on natural death of roots, I don't cut them, I fold them over and jam them into the pot. Not ideal but it works.
One insult per year, because they can take a long time to recover.
 

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I am unsure you guys are all talking about the same plant . Juniperus communis or common juniper is the most widespread plant on the planet I live Ontario Canada. Range in eastern USA is New England to Pennsylvania and North Carolina It is a sharp needle juniper not a scale foilage plant like Chinese. It’s everywhere here normally a multi stem spreading ground cover that has long branches before any foliage in the wild covers rock outcrops it is not very common in nurseries as most people prefer soft scale tule foliage junipers ie Chinese juniper. The prize common juniper is the rare upright trunk plant that is hard to find in the wild and makes great bonsai especially with deadwood some people collect it for the deadwood and age then graft Chinese soft foil age to it . I know where there is one upright growing out solid rock edge of a small island on a lake tortured by winter wind it’s 1/2 natural deadwood thinking of air layer in the wild as its non collectable in solid rock personally I like the sharp needle foliage. Has a rugged look unlike the masterpiece. Bonsai you see collected from mountains in orient with soft foliage that in my opinion are all the same foliage pads only interesting part is the dramatic ancient deadwood that is different on every one every bonsai book or show flyer has one
 
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