Juniperus sibirica (J. communis var. saxatilis) seeds

Juniperus sibirica (Syn: Juniperus communis var saxatilis) seeds

 

Juniperus sibirica has synonyms such as J.communis var.nana, J. communis var., and saxatilis or J. communis var. saxatilis. It is widely spread on the northern hemisphere. It is a conifer species from the Cupressaceae family. J.communis var.nana is a spreading shrub that grows to a maximum height of 18m tall with reddish brown bark. The plant dominates abandoned grasslands and is therefore considered to belong to the natural sceneries.

J.communis var.nana plant is an evergreen tree with needle-like leaves in curls. The plant does not attain adult foliage due to the present single stomata band on the inner surface. The fruit of the plan is a berry-like cone, which is green before ripening and turns to purple-black upon ripening. The fruits take 18 months to fully ripe and have a blue wax coating. The fruit is usually fleshy and has one seed. The seeds of this plant are dispersed with the birds that eat the fruit.

Juniperus sibirica is a dioecious tree which means that it needs the male cones to be able to reproduce. The male cones are always pollinated through the winds to the female cones. The female flowers are always green while those of the male are ovate and yellow and have a length of 6mm. The male cones do fall in March to April upon detaching their pollen.

Many gardeners use the Juniperus sibirica plant as a shrub ornament in the gardens. In Scandinavia, the wood from the plant is used in making small containers for storing a small number of dairy products like cheese and butter. The butter knives are made out of this wood as well. In Estonia, Juniperus sibirica wood is valued for its pleasant fragrance. The decorative items like the eating utensils are commonly made with this wood since it is strong. The berries from the plant are used in America as female contraceptives. Most birds eat the fruits of this plant. The berries of this plant can be dried and used to flavour sauces, stuffing and meat. The berry is crushed before it can be used for flavouring.

In Northern Poland, the Juniperus sibirica is believed to bring good love fortunes for the girls. For this reason, boys could always be seen, on Easter Mondays chasing girls and whipping their legs gently with the twigs from this plant.