Common Name: Temple Juniper

General Information

Juniperus rigida is an erect, evergreen shrub or a tree with a pyramidal crown; it usually grows 1 - 10 metres tall, though specimens up to 15 metres have been recorded for Japan. The bole can be up to 45cm in diameter[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is harvested from the wild on a commercial basis as a source of essential oils for the chemical industries; is sometimes cultivated as a timber crop; and is grown as an ornamental in gardens.
Juniperus rigida is widespread and common, and as it is probably increasing as a result of changes in forest cover and land use. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, China, Japan, Korea

Habitat

Secondary scrubland or grassland, open forest or woodland, sometimes on sparsely vegetated sandhills, growing equally well on moorland, sand dunes, sand flats, rocky mountain slopes and exposed limestone clifs; at elevations up to 2,200 metres[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Juniperus rigida is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°c when fully dormant[]. It grows wild in a mesic climate with abundant rainfall throughout the year[].
Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[] and succeeding on chalk[]. Established plants are drought tolerant, succeeding in hot dry positions[].
A very ornamental plant[], it thrives in S. England[]. Commonly planted in gardens and in temple grounds in Japan, sometimes in Korea and China[]
Trees are very slow growing in Britain, normally averaging only 15cm a year increase in height[].
The plant is cultivated for its wood in Asia[].
A dioecious species (though occasional monoecious forms are known)[] - both male and female forms must usually be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. It can also be ground into a powder and used as a spice[, , ]. The dark-brown, globose cones are about 7 - 11mm in diameter, they take 2 years to mature[].

Medicinal

The fruit is diuretic[, ].

The berries are antiinflammatory and are widely used in Korean traditional medicine to treat conditions such as neuralgia, gout, rheumatoid arthritis and dropsy[, ]

The branches and leaves are utilized in traditional Mongolian medicine in China[].

The foliage has been shown to be rich in flavonoids and phenols, and to have antioxidant and antibacterial activities[].

Other Uses

An oil (almost certainly an essential oil[]) is obtained from the fruit. It is mentioned as being diuretic[].
The branches and leaves are an important raw material to provide essential oils for the chemical industry[]

The wood is used for construction, agricultural implements, fencing etc[].
The wood is used locally for furniture making, wood carving and other domestic uses[].

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[].