Female vs. Male California juniper

[bonhe]

What is the difference? Bonhe

p/s: 2 pics taken on 2/21/09

 

[buddhamonk]

one makes pollen, the other one makes flowers and a berries

 

[shohin kid]

Male makes pollen, female makes flowers and berries if I remember correctly. At least, that is how it works with shimpaku.

 

[amkhalid]

if you wanna get all technical, there are no flowers

conifers make pollen-bearing cones and seed-bearing cones, sometimes on separate plants as seems to be the case with this juniper

 

[Si Nguyen]

Which one has the smaller, finer foliage?
I have seen some of Ernie Kuo's California junipers in which he pinched the foliage so well that they look compact almost like shimpaku's. I think he told me the male California junipers are better for pinching but I am not so sure I remember him correctly. Does anybody know?
Si

 

[bonhe]

Which one has the smaller, finer foliage?
I have seen some of Ernie Kuo's California junipers in which he pinched the foliage so well that they look compact almost like shimpaku's. I think he told me the male California junipers are better for pinching but I am not so sure I remember him correctly. Does anybody know?
Si

With my observation, their foliage are the same except the female one has compact foliage. Because of it, the female one looks smooth! Bonhe

 

[snobird]

Bonhe, these photos illustrate how nature has adapted plants for pollination. The male foliage is more open to allow for wind dispersal of the pollen and the female carries most of her cones on the tips to optimize pollination.

 

[bonhe]

Hi Snobird, it makes sense. Bonhe

 

[Dav4]

I can't comment on Cal. junipers, but I do own 3 Rocky Mountain junipers, 2 male and 1 female. The female foliage is significantly finer in it's growth and texture as compared to the males. Granted, this comparison may be meaningless, as these trees may have been collected from different regions out west and may have regionally different growth patterns.

Dave

 

[bonhe]

You can see the male one has longer spikes comparing to the female one. Pics were taken this am. Bonhe

 

[bonhe]

I can't comment on Cal. junipers, but I do own 3 Rocky Mountain junipers, 2 male and 1 female. The female foliage is significantly finer in it's growth and texture as compared to the males. Granted, this comparison may be meaningless, as these trees may have been collected from different regions out west and may have regionally different growth patterns.

Dave

Some people prefered female to male California juniper. Because of it, they need to differentiate them in collecting time. Bonhe

 

[Dav4]

Some people prefered female to male California juniper. Because of it, they need to differentiate them in collecting time. Bonhe

I wasn't referring to the comparison of male to female juniper foliage as being meaningless...I actually prefer the finer female foliage out of the three trees I have. I was merely pointing out that my comparison of MY 3 trees might not have much meaning in that plants of the same species that are growing in different regions may have different morphological characteristics, including foliage growth and texture.

Dave

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The male junipers never ask for directions Sorry I had to do it

 

[Vance Wood]

I hate to be showing my potential ignorance but this seems to me to be one of those issues akin to the King's new clothes. All of the research and refferences I have looked at out side what bonsai people are saying is the the California Juniper is monoecious, meaning that both sexs exist on the same tree:

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiajuniper.html

So I am confused, which is it?

 

[snobird]

I was in doubt myself whether it is dioecious or monoecious but having no personal knowledge of the species I consulted the Gymnosperm database that states that California Juniper is largely dioecious. www.conifers.org/cu/ju/californica.htm

 

[Vance Wood]

I was in doubt myself whether it is dioecious or monoecious but having no personal knowledge of the species I consulted the Gymnosperm database that states that California Juniper is largely dioecious. www.conifers.org/cu/ju/californica.htm

Actually it says it can be both but mostly dioecious as you have pointed out. This is puzzeling as well.