Contents
- 1 What is a Juniper Bonsai Tree?
- 2 Juniperus Procumbens Nana or Juniperus Horizontalis
- 3 Chinese Juniper or Juniper Chinensis
- 4 Creeping Juniper or Juniper horizontalis
- 5 Needle Juniper or Juniper Rigida
- 6 Blue Star Juniper or Juniperus Squamata
- 7 Sabina Juniper or Savin Juniper
- 8 California Juniper or Juniperus Californica
- 9 Sierra Juniper or Juniper occidentalis
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Juniper Bonsai Tree?
Whether a beginner at the cultivation of bonsai or an expert, just remember, Juniper bonsais are one of the most popular in the world of miniature miracles. All types of Juniper Bonsai require less effort, however, their appearances are captive and grotesque. Commonly prized for its greenish foliage, Juniper bonsai is easy to care about. Thus, it becomes the firm favorite of bonsai artists. I hope you feel ignited to obtain a bonsai juniper.
Different juniper bonsai styles can be found in the northern part of the world. Generally, there are two general types of Bonsai juniper: scale-like and needle-like plants. The other type is the berry-like cones. Juniper bonsai are mounding, creeping, or crawling, and needle-form in their growth type.
Juniperus Procumbens Nana or Juniperus Horizontalis
Juniperus procumbens Nana is also known as Juniperus horizontalis procumbens, is an excellent type of Juniper bonsai. Procumbens are also known as green mound junipers. These particular juniper tree species are perfect for Bonsai tree cultivation and beginning Bonsai tree artists. They are resilient and their leaves have a bright green color. For most of their lives, Juniperus horizontalis can remain in their juvenile shape. They have a small size and tight foliage that makes them ideal for creating intricate designs and details in bonsai.
Other benefits of the Juniperus procumbens are the ability to withstand a wide range of growing conditions and relative resistance to pests and diseases. They are easy to care for and very forgiving, even if you happen to prune them too much!
Chinese Juniper or Juniper Chinensis
Chinese juniper is a native to Asia. Chinese juniper trees, officially known as Juniperus chinensis, are great for producing deadwood because of their scale-like leaf. Furthermore, because their trunks and branches naturally twist, they are perfect for wiring and cascade design.
Chinese Juniper has some varieties:
- Juniperus chinensis among other types of Juniper bonsai have some subspecies like “San Jose”, which is a gorgeous red-barked juniper that is more frequently found in the United States, with blue-green foliage. The San Jose is hesitant to develop consistently with adult or scale foliage, and aficionados may choose to only develop with juvenile or needle foliage on occasion.
- Another variety of Chinese Juniper called “Shimpaku” has vivid green foliage while it is young, then fades to a darker green as it ages. The tree’s naturally compact and dense foliage makes it a great choice for bonsai. Similar to several juniper types, the leaf may turn brown or bronze following a frost and will stay that way until spring, when it returns to a more recognizable (and healthy-looking) shade of green.
- Another variety of Juniperus chinensis is ‘Itoigawa,’ also known as Itoigawa juniper. It has a beautiful deep-green foliage. The leaves of the Itoigawa juniper are highly valued and frequently used to graft over other varieties of juniper. Itoigawa Juniper is susceptible to fungal infection (‘phomopsis’) and spider mite infestations. It grows compactly and can be styled in many ways. Still, another type is “Juniperus sargentii”, which has a scale foliage. One more type is “Blaauws Juniper”. Compared to Juniperus Shimpaku it is more vigorous but has less naturally well-ramified growth, and the green foliage has a blue-grey tint.
Creeping Juniper or Juniper horizontalis
Creeping juniper is native to North America. It is a low-growing, spreading evergreen conifer that has a ground-hugging habit. It grows horizontally and is characterized by its dense and mat-forming growth. Juniper horizontalis is a very common variety. It is with predominantly mature/scale foliage in a range of colours from dark green to steel blue (depending on the specific variety). Their trunks are very slow to thicken. It has a good tolerance for drought conditions making it a good choice for water-efficient landscapes. Popular examples of Creeping Juniper bonsai are Bar Harbor, Blue Acres, Emerald Spreader, Green Acres, and Wiltonii or Blue-Rug Juniper,
Needle Juniper or Juniper Rigida
Blue Star Juniper or Juniperus Squamata
Common Juniper or Juniper Communis
Common Juniper is the only truly native Juniper in the UK. It’s a woody plant that is widely distributed and grows worldwide. Though illy-reputated for dying 2-3 years after collection, it is a great choice for a cold climate bonsai specimen. When planted in the bonsai tree configuration, these shrubs are especially hardy and yield visually appealing foliage that resembles needles. Juniperus communis bonsai are incredibly resilient, have only needles rather than scales, grow quite old, and require very little care. As a bonsai, the tree requires a lot of light and should be placed in the sun. It thrives mostly in harsh environments with frequently extremely low nitrogen soils.
They are easily propagated because they grow natively in North America, Asia, and Europe and are categorized as Juniperus communis!
Sabina Juniper or Savin Juniper
Sabina Juniper, also known as Juniperus Sabina, is very common type of Juniper Bonsai in Europe. It is sturdy and adaptable and is well-suited to bonsai. Because of its naturally gnarly and twisted growth pattern, Sabina Juniper is a great choice for developing informal forms like literati or informal upright. Sabina has small, scale-like, looser but fine foliage that is typically a deep green color. It may take longer to get the desired bonsai size and shape, as it is a slow-growing species and it requires continual pruning of vigourous shoots to encourage ramifications. Although very frost-hardy, they suffer very badly unless kept fairly dry during the Winter and the Summer. But for bonsai fans of all skill levels, its hardiness, and capacity to withstand a broad variety of growth circumstances make it a superb choice.
California Juniper or Juniperus Californica
Classified as Juniperus californica, the California juniper is native to the west coast of North America, as its name implies. The leaves are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or whorls of three. Usually thin, the bark gives the impression of being “shredded.” Once established, this plant can tolerate a variety of soil types and needs little watering in the garden. As it gets wider than taller, give it lots of space. The native habitat of this shrub makes it particularly drought-tolerant, which may make this Bonsai tree specimen ideal for desert regions and other hot climates. Otherwise, this shrub is slow to grow and takes pruning well, making it a great choice for the beginning Bonsai tree artist.
Sierra Juniper or Juniper occidentalis
Juniperus grandis are native to the west coast of North America, Sierra junipers are also known as western junipers for this reason. Classified as Juniperus occidentalis, western juniper Bonsai trees begin with needle-like foliage that becomes more scale-like with age. They are a medium-sized tree with a stout trunk peaking of age, the leaves are scale-like and closely appressed. The benefit is Sierra junipers are the fourth longest-lived tree species.Tthis species takes its time to grow, so don’t expect a fast Bonsai tree specimen with this one!
Conclusion
To summarize, the article welcomes those, who are a big fan of Junpers. Listing the miniature marvels based on their types of growth and native habitat, I have introduced to you 10 exquisite types of Juniper bonsai with their subvarietis. The description and information of these types make the journey in the world of bonsai easier and more enjoyable. It can be a handy guide to help for both beginners and artists in choosing the favorite type of bonsai. For more information and useful guides follow us on ooobonsai.com website. We are here to be back at your bonsai adventures.