Prickly Juniper, Cade juniper
Juniperus oxycedrus
Family: Cupressaceae
What it is like
Form: Prostrate, Pyramidal, Rounded, Variable height.
Juniperus oxycedrus is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Dry hills, sandy and rocky places.
Europe - Mediterranean.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Oil: Oil
Medicine
Rating: 1
The plant yields the essential oil 'Oil of Cade' by destructive distillation of the wood. It is used externally in the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis and chronic eczema. It is a good parasiticide in cases of psora and favus. Antiseptic.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating: 2
An oil distilled from the heartwood is used medicinally and as a parasiticide. It is also used as an immersion oil in microscope work.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Erosion control, Rock garden, Screen, Specimen. Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil and succeeding on chalk. A drought tolerant plant once established, succeeding in hot dry positions. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Attracts birds, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 8-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist