Habbel, Syrian Juniper, Plum juniper
Juniperus drupacea

Family: Cupressaceae

What it is like

An evergreen tree. It grows 10 m high. The bark is orange-brown. It peels in thin strips along its length. The tree forms a narrow column. The leaves are needle like and rigid. They are slender and 2.5 cm long. They occur in rings of three. They have sharp points. There are two broad white bands above. They are glossy green and ridged underneath. The flowers are separately male and female on separate trees. The male flowers are yellow and female flowers are very small and green. The female flowers are born in small clusters on the tips of short leafy branches. The fruit are berry-like cones. They are 2.5 cm long. They are blue-green at first and become brown to black-purple at maturity.

There are 50 to 60 Juniperus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in mountain forests in Greece. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Europe, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Mediterranean, Middle East, Syria, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, berries

How it is grown

The fruit take 2-3 years to mature.

Its other names

Local names

Andiz

Synonyms

Arceuthos drupacea (Labill.) Antoine & Kotschy;