Herb: Syrian Juniper
Latin name: Juniperus drupacea
Synonyms: Arceuthos drupacea
Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)
Edible parts of Syrian Juniper:Fruit - raw or cooked. Large and sweet.The cones are about 20 - 25mm in diameter and take 2 years to mature.
Description of the plant:
Habitat of the herb:Rocky slopes in forest or scrub, 1000 - 1500 metres in Turkey.
Propagation of Syrian Juniper:The seed requires a period of cold stratification. The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. Another possibility is to harvest the seed "green" (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months.
Cultivation of the herb:Rocky slopes in forest or scrub, 1000 - 1500 metres in Turkey.
Medicinal use of Syrian Juniper:None known
Known hazards of Juniperus drupacea:None known
Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.