Juniperus oxycedrus (Prickly juniper, Cade)
" Juniperus oxycedrus, which reaches about 8 meters in height, is an evergreen shrub with sharp-pointed needle-like leaves that have two parallel white bands on their upper surface, one of the distinctive characteristic of the species. The shrub grows upright if left undisturbed, but in places where grazing occurs, it grows mostly horizontally, because goats eat the soft new tips and prevent them from growing upright, forcing the branches to extend laterally. The female shrubs tend to bear many berries and their branches droop from the weight of the fruits, while male plants tend to have a more upright canopy. Unlike the Grecian Juniper, which grows at high altitudes, the Prickly Juniper has a widespread distribution in Lebanon within a range stretching from the lower coastal altitudes up to 1600 meters. "*
*Trees of Lebanon, 2014, Salma Nashabe Talhouk, Mariana M. Yazbek, Khaled Sleem, Arbi J. Sarkissian, Mohammad S. Al-Zein, and Sakra Abo Eid
- Landscape Information
- Botanical Description
- Horticulture Management
-
French Name: Genevrier oxycedre
Arabic Name: لزّاب أو عرعر
-
Plant type: Tree
-
Origin: Mediterranean
-
Heat Zones: 1 to 10
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
-
Uses: Specimen, Windbreak, Wildlife, Erosion control, Native to Lebanon
-
Size/Shape
Growth Rate: Slow
Tree Shape: Upright
Canopy Symmetry: Irregular
Canopy Density: Dense
Canopy Texture: Medium
Height at Maturity: 5 to 8 m
Spread at Maturity: 3 to 5 meters
Time to Ultimate Height: More than 50 Years
-
Foliage
Leaf Arrangement : Spiral
Leaf Venation: Nearly Invisible
Leaf Persistance: Evergreen
Leaf Type: Simple
Leaf Blade: Less than 5
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Margins: Entire
Leaf Texture: Waxy
Leaf Scent: Pleasant (Lemony)
Color(growing season): Green
Color(changing season): Green
-
Flower
Flower Sexuality: Diecious (Monosexual)
-
Trunk
Number of Trunks: Single Trunk
-
Fruit
Fruit Type: Berry
Fruit Showiness: Yes
Fruit Size Range: 1.5 - 3
Fruit Color: Red
-
Tolerance
Frost Tolerant: Yes
Salt Tolerance: Poor
-
Requirements
Soil Requirements: Clay
Soil Ph Requirements: Neutral, Alkaline
Light Requirements: Full
-
Management
Toxicity: No
Pruning Requirements: No pruning at all
Fruit/ Leaves/ Flowers litter: No
Life Span: More than 50
Edible Parts: None
Plant Propagation: Seed