Common Name:

General Information

Juniperus foetidissima is an evergreen shrub or a tree with a pyramidal crown that becomes broad and irregular with age; it usually grows up to 15 metres tall, occasionally reaching 20 metres, with some old trees exceptionally reaching more than 40 metres. The bole can be 100cm in diameter. At higher elevations the plant is more shrub-like and can be prostrate[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.
This widespread species is not globally threatened. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Europe - Serbia to Greece; W. Asia - Turky, Lebanon, Caucasus, Turkmenistan and northwest Iran

Habitat

Scrubland, Juniperus-Quercus scrub, open pine forest and other coniferous forest, often on limestone crags or rocky slopes, or on serpentine or other base-rich rock, in shallow soils; at elevations from 700 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Juniperus foetidissima is native to hot, dry summer regions from the Mediterranean region with its mild, moist winters, with transitions to more continental interior regions where winters are drier and colder[]. The plant is known to tolerate short-lived temperatures down to around -8°c in cultivation[]. The mean annual precipitation within its native range can vary from 400 - 1,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Grows in the wild on limestone crags or rocky slopes, or on serpentine or other base-rich rock, often in shallow soils[].
The plant takes around 30 years from seed to producing seed[].
In the wild, despite its often rather arid habitat, Juniperus foetidissima can become immense and very ancient. Trees are known in Turkey with measurements of up to 42 metres tall, and trunks up to 200cm in diameter, and one of 27 metres has been recorded with a diameter of 462cm. In cultivation, however, there appear to be very few trees, which is curious - especially with provenances so close to western Europe as the Balkans. At the Hillier Gardens in southern England a slow-growing specimen planted before 1976 has now reached 5.5 metres (trunk 7cm in diameter), but this is the only one traced[].

Edible Uses

The dark blue or black, globose seed cones are 5 - 13mm in diameter, becoming somewhat resinous and woody with maturity[]. We have seen no reports regarding the edibility of these cones.

Medicinal

The young shoots are used in the treatmnt of coughs and the common cold[].

The fresh seed cones are used to treat joint calcification[]

An ethanol extract of the seed cones has shown a significant antiinflammatory activity[].

Other Uses

An essential oil can be obtained from the heartwood. Over 120 compounds have been detected in the oil - the main components are cedrol (13 - 15.3%); widdrol (8.8 - 12.2%); cis-thujopsens (10.5 - 10.9%); alpha-cedrene (5.8 - 8.2%); 8,14-cedranoxide (4.1 - 5.5%); 14-hydroxyl-beta-caryophyllene (5.1 - 8.7%). It has potential for use in a range of applications such as fragrance compounds, scenting soaps, room sprays, disinfectants, as a cleaning agent for microscope sections etc[].

The wood is firm, rather rigid, aromatic, resistant to insect damage. Where wood of sufficient dimension is available, it is highly valued as construction timber and is used in carpentry for manufacturing cupboards, chests and household goods[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[]
Large trees have been utilized in the past for the making of durables like furniture, but its commercial use is now limited. In some areas firewood may still be extracted from this species[].

Propagation

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/early autumn in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn[, ].
Layering in September/early autumn. Takes 12 months[].