Oksana M
Well, what could be simpler? Thuja's microstrobilae are oval. And it has 4 microsporangia. And the juniper has round microstrobilae and 2-6 microsporangia. And the cones of the thuja are ovoid-oblong, and those of the juniper are round (they are also called juniper berries). but in general they are closest relatives.
Increase
fven
And what does thuja look like? Maybe this is just some local name for mozheelnik?
Virgo
Juniper grows in our area, and thuja is a southerner (at least you won’t find it in our forests).
The juniper has needles that look like needles, while the thuja has flattened needles.
Miss Sixty
Thuja blooms, but juniper does not.
Vasilisa
Juniper is widely used in medicine, but thuja is not, recommended for hedges.
photohunter
The easiest way to distinguish it is by touch - prickly juniper.
Which is better: juniper or thuja?
In this video, our expert will tell you which plant is better: juniper or thuja? You can select coniferous plants at the link http://greensad.ua/category/hvojnye-r...
00:54 Similar forms can be found in both plants. For example, the popular thuja variety Columna is smooth, really like a column. Blue arrow juniper looks exactly the same. The same smooth, clear silhouette.
01:41 Now let’s compare these plants based on the color factor. In addition to their natural green color, juniper and thuja can now be pampered with literally any color: green, blue, yellow.
02:18 Junipers are usually planted either as single plants or in loose, as they say, groups. But thuja in this regard is just very good example in use for hedges.
02:46 But if you need to secure a slope or slope on your site, if you need to decorate an alpine hill, then you obviously won’t find anything better than creeping forms or ground cover, better than junipers.
02:58 Now let’s compare these plants according to their growing conditions. The thuja perfectly tolerates the smoky, polluted, dusty air of our city streets. Junipers, on the contrary, suffer from dusty, polluted air. At the same time, junipers are frost-resistant, drought-resistant and not demanding on soil conditions.
03:39 The fact is that the root system of junipers goes tens of meters deep into the soil and extracts itself from great depths nutrients and the necessary moisture. Thuja is considered an unpretentious and light-loving plant, but unlike juniper it can grow even in the shade.
03:59 Thuja is more demanding when it comes to soil. It requires rich soils. If you grow it on the poor sandy soils, then, of course, regular feeding will be required.
04:17 In the same way, it should be taken into account that the thuja plant is a moisture-loving plant and can even grow on soils where groundwater is high. Although in adulthood, when the tree has been growing for several years, it is, in principle, also drought-resistant.
04:32 In principle, both thuja and juniper are considered unpretentious plants and will not require any special care from you. But keep in mind that young plants need to be insulated for the winter.
04:45 Especially if you have harsh winters, so that they simply do not freeze. And some varieties are worth shading at the end of winter, beginning of spring. Because they have the ability to burn.
05:02 Now let's talk about the benefits. As a matter of fact, like all coniferous plants, both thuja and juniper are certainly useful. But juniper is perhaps the champion in this area.
05:27 Traditional medicine actively uses juniper cones. They have diuretic and disinfectant properties. Juniper berries are also used in cooking.
Thuja and juniper..
Work moment…
Blanks for new soap made from thuja and juniper…
How similar they are!... I only recently began to distinguish what grows where... Alyoshenka planted all the evergreens in the yard (thank you! :)... I dug up young plants in the forests and planted them in the yard :)... Once upon a time there was a juniper grove next to us , but it was barbarously cut down and mansions were built there... But the coniferous descendants of this grove grow here;))..
In the first photo I have Thuja orientalis in my hands..
And this is the Cossack juniper.
The easiest way to distinguish them is that juniper is prickly, but thuja is not :).. And of course they have different berries :)
I ground the twigs and berries in a blender with water... It turned out to be a thick, oily mass... I already made soap with it..
How to distinguish juniper, thuja, cypress/cypress by sight? Photo examples are welcome.
Victoria Tchaikovskaya
The differences are in appearance, “foliage”, structure of “foliage”, shapes, fruits.
Polina Shubina
It is very difficult to distinguish between thuja, cypress, cypress, and junipers with very short needles, but you can look at the cones; junipers generally have cone berries.
Olga
Cypress and thuja, I don’t have juniper
Irina Kalugina
Well, the moss berry has prickly leaves, while the thuja and cypress have soft leaves
What is better to plant - tall juniper or thuja?
Lesnaya
Any coniferous plant is good for health. Junipers secrete more phytoncides than other conifers, including thuja. But... junipers have many more enemies than thuja... pests and diseases. So choose... either juniper with phytoncides (let me remind you that these are... biologically active substances that inhibit the growth and development of bacteria), but you will have to regularly monitor its condition... it is susceptible to many diseases, and pests do not bypass it... here's an article about it right away http://www.supersadovnik.ru/article_plant.aspx?id=1000965 Or thuja... according to my observations, it requires much less attention... pests and diseases have not been observed... at least in the quantity when intervention is required.
Jesper's
IMHO thuja.
We planted it 10 years ago in a cemetery, and every 2 years we prune it only with pruning shears.
And so she grows normally)))
and I personally like pine needles better. To me she healing effect renders. When I get sick of allergies, I go to a coniferous forest and it goes away immediately.
@
Both are capricious. what to plant is a matter of taste.
for health - juniper.
Olga
I like juniper more, it smells like pine needles
Taboo
Thuja, in my opinion, is less whimsical, and can grow in partial shade... But juniper needs sun. But of course the smell of pine needles, especially in rainy or hot weather, is amazing)
Larisa
Thuja occidentalis is considered more unpretentious and more cold-resistant. And for health and decorative purposes, they are both good. Both have many varieties.
Irina Vladimirovna
In the front area there is a columnar thuja, in the recreation area there is juniper.
BERGENIA
And I am for juniper, it grows for me, but the thujas die.
how to distinguish thuja from juniper?
Mevka
Thuja has no needles, it’s kind of flat, not prickly and has a special smell, although I don’t know what to compare it with =)
but juniper has round sharp needles, 1 short from 1 leaf bed (not in a bunch, pine has bunches)
LAPA
By smell.
How is cypress different from thuja?
Vladimir-2012
AND cypress And thuja- evergreen coniferous trees (and shrubs) belonging to the same family: cypress. But thuja is from the “thuja” genus. There are many different types these plants. Even experts cannot always distinguish some species: where is the thuja and where is the cypress. Cypress trees usually grow in subtropical climates, but there are also decorative types for the middle zone. IN middle lane thujas are more common. For example, Thuja Occidentalis grows almost everywhere. It is good to use for constructing green hedges with appropriate pruning. I do this at my dacha. The main difference between cypress and thuja is the shape of the cones:
How to propagate juniper and thuja at home?
In what ways can you propagate juniper, thuja, and spruce yourself?
Bulbasaurus
Himself Growing coniferous plants and shrubs, if desired, is not difficult, the main thing is the desire. Actually, these plants can be propagated in three ways, these are: seed propagation, cuttings and grafting. The best method, of course, is the seed method; the second would be cuttings. I don’t think you should think about the third method in the form of vaccination, since it is quite complicated.
If there is no way to just dig in the forest small plant and replant it on your site, then probably the most the best way will be - this is propagation by seeds. This method is actually optimal for thuja, pine and juniper.
Conditions growing from seeds (probably the most effective for pine):
- In the fall, collect the cones and lay them out on a sheet of paper to dry in the house.
- After the cones open (and this will happen quite quickly), the seeds that fall out of them need to be collected and planted before winter. The planting area, of course, needs to be put in order before this, that is, the weeds must be removed and fertilized with the same ash. The soil should be loose (if necessary, just add sand to the hole).
- Shoots often appear within a year, so in the first spring there is no need to worry about their absence.
This This method is good for everyone, but for example, it is better to propagate juniper by cuttings. With this method, reproduction is almost 90% effective.
- in spring/summer you need to pinch off annual branches (about 10 cm long) with part of the main tree;
- put in a solution with a growth stimulator for a day;
- bury in loose soil (peat with sand);
- periodically, to avoid drying out of the soil, water (cover with jars and keep in the shade);
- When rooted, transplant into beds. After 2-3 years, the already strong trees should be transplanted to a permanent place.
Thuja Most often propagated vegetatively, but it can also be propagated by seeds. Thuja is grown with seeds in much the same way as other conifers, there are no special differences, and the second successful method is also cuttings. (actually the same as juniper). But thuja can also reproduce by horizontal layering. This is when a branch of the mother plant is bent down and covered with soil.
bolshoyvopros.ru
Juniper plant in the photo
Decorative species of junipers, both on private plots and in Russian gardens, are still relatively rare. And not at all because they are not worthy of due attention. On the contrary, judging by the description of juniper species, among conifers these trees are perhaps the most beautiful. They are distinguished by their varied shape, graceful needles and decorative fruits.
In addition, it is unlikely that there will be another natural ozonizer of the air that purifies it from harmful organisms in short term and within a considerable radius. It is not for nothing that there is an aura of benevolence and peace among junipers. This plant is rightfully medicinal.
The homeland of juniper is the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, less often - the mountains of the tropical part of Central America, the West Indies and East Africa. Juniper thickets live in the undergrowth of light-coniferous or light-leaved forests on sandy and even rocky mountain soils.
More than 20 species of juniper trees are known in Europe and Asia; no more than five or six are common in Russia. They are very different in both appearance, and according to biological requirements.
Juniper is an evergreen coniferous plant belonging to the Cypress family. These can be trees with a height of 12 to 30 m. There are also ornamental shrubs junipers - creeping (up to 40 cm in height) and erect (up to 1-3 m). The leaves (needles) of this plant are needle-shaped or scale-like.
Look at the photo to see what different types of juniper look like:
Juniper 
Juniper
The plant is monoecious or dioecious, depending on the species, age and environmental conditions. Male spikelets are yellowish with scale-like stamens, female cones are berry-shaped, with a bluish coating, bearing 1-10 seeds. Flowering - in April-May. Cones usually ripen in the second year after flowering.
What do the roots of a juniper plant look like? Root system These trees and shrubs have a core structure, with developed lateral branching. Powerful roots are sometimes located in the upper soil horizon.
When describing the juniper tree, it is especially worth noting the strong coniferous smell emitted by these plants and due to the content of essential oils in the needles. Volatile substances have a pronounced phytoncidal effect. The pine smell kills microorganisms and repels insects, in particular mosquitoes.
The smell of juniper can improve the well-being of those suffering from angina pectoris and relieve insomnia. The beneficial role of sleeping pads with dry juniper bark and steamed ones is well known. bath brooms, relieving joint and neurological pain.
Twigs of all kinds coniferous trees juniper with live needles is popularly used to fumigate an infected room or simply freshen the air.
The berries of this plant are an excellent raw material for the confectionery, alcoholic beverage and perfume industries.
Common juniper in the photo
Common juniper- a plant in the form of a bush or tree (up to 12 m in height) with a cone-shaped crown.
Young shoots of this species are initially green, then reddish, bare, and round. The bark of the branches and trunks is grayish-brown, dark, scaly-flaky. The needles are in whorls of three, shiny, lanceolate-linear, 1-1.5 cm long, dark green or bluish-green with a hard, spiny tip.
The plant is dioecious. Male flowers are yellow spikelets consisting of shield-shaped scales with 4-6 anthers. Female ones - resemble green buds of three scales and three ovules. Blooms in May - June. It begins to bear fruit at the age of 5-10 years. Cone berries are single or several pieces, spherical, up to 10 mm in diameter.
As you can see in the photo of the juniper, the fruits of the tree in a mature state are dark blue with a bluish waxy coating:
Common juniper 
Common juniper
The berries have a resinous smell and a sweetish-pleasant taste. Contains up to 40% sugar. Abundant Harvest repeats after 3-4 years. The cones are collected by shaking them onto a film or cloth spread under the plants and dried under a canopy.
This juniper is undemanding to soil, cold-resistant, and does not tolerate drought well. When transplanted without a clod of soil, it takes root with difficulty. It is propagated by seeds, which mature within 2-3 years and have an oblong shape and a brownish-brown color.
Known decorative forms common juniper:
Juniper "Pyramidal" in the photo
"Pyramidal" with a columnar crown,
"Pressed"- low-growing shrub with dense dark green needles,
"Horizontal"- a low creeping shrub, densely covered with blue-green needles, sharp and prickly.
Look at the photo of varieties of this type of juniper:
Juniper 
Juniper
These plants are propagated by cuttings and grafting. Common juniper and its decorative forms grow very slowly. They cannot tolerate excess salt in soils and often die when transplanted, which must be taken into account when growing them.
The medicinal properties of the common juniper were known and used in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and Rus'. It is a good diuretic, choleretic, expectorant and antimicrobial agent. And the North American Indians, for example, kept patients with tuberculosis in juniper thickets, not allowing them to leave until they fully recovered.
In the 17th century in Russia, oil and alcohol were made from juniper fruits. The latter was used to produce a special vodka, which was considered a reliable remedy for almost all diseases. The oil was used as an effective antiseptic in the treatment of wounds, burns, and frostbite.
The fruits of this juniper are used as a seasoning. They add a special forest aroma to poultry and game dishes. The fruits are also used as a coffee substitute. They are still used to make jelly, marmalade, and syrup, which are added to jelly, confectionery and baked goods.
Common juniper cones contain essential oils and 20-25% glucose; they are not inferior in sugar content to grapes. They are used in medicine as a diuretic, in the liquor industry for the production of gin, and in the confectionery industry for the production of syrups. This type of juniper is widely used in homeopathy, as well as in Tibetan medicine.
Pay attention to the photo - this type of juniper in dachas and personal plots is used in single and group plantings, as well as for hedges:
Juniper in dachas and garden plots
The name of this type of juniper is more often heard than others, since it is the most studied and used as a medicinal plant.
In autumn, juniper fruits are harvested. They are aromatic, black-brown in color and have a sweet-spicy taste. Infusions and decoctions are prepared from them (1 tablespoon of crushed fruits per glass of water), which are prescribed as a diuretic and disinfectant for kidney diseases, Bladder, kidney and liver stones. Decoctions are also used for gout, rheumatism, arthritis, helping to remove mineral salts from the body.
Both berries and pine needles are used for external use - for skin diseases, gout, arthritis.
You can also be treated with fresh fruits, taking them only after consulting with your doctor, first 2-4 on an empty stomach, then increasing by 1 berry daily, up to 13-15, after which the dose is also gradually reduced to 5 pieces. Fruits are contraindicated in acute inflammatory processes in the kidneys.
Cossack juniper in the photo
Juniper Cossack- a low creeping shrub with recumbent or ascending branches covered with dense needles with a silvery tint.
Unlike the ordinary juniper, the Cossack juniper has poisonous berries. They are small, spherical, brown-black in color with a bluish coating and a very unpleasant odor.
By touching the ground, the plant's branches can take root. As it grows, juniper forms large clumps up to 3-4 m in diameter. This species is very drought-resistant, light-loving and winter-hardy, loves calcareous soil, but grows on all types of soil. Thanks to its unusual appearance, this juniper is indispensable in landscaping, for strengthening rocky slopes, and in decorative groups on lawns.
When propagating this type of juniper by green cuttings, the standard planting material It will turn out 2-3 years earlier than from seeds, and the characteristics of the mother plant will be completely preserved. Reproduction by layering is the fastest and most easy way vegetative propagation Cossack juniper, but very unproductive.
Such are known garden varieties this type of juniper, like
Juniper "columnar" 
Juniper "erect"
“columnar”, “erect”,
Juniper form "cypress-leaved" 
Juniper form “variegated”
"cypress-leaved", "variegated"
Juniper form "tamarixolia"
And "tamarixolifolia".
The most interesting is the “white-edged” one with almost white needles at the ends of the branches. Each is decorative in its own way and differs in the shade and shape of the needles.
Juniper Cossack comb-leaved- dioecious, low, almost creeping shrub with smooth, reddish-gray bark. Cones up to 7 mm in diameter, brown-black, with a bluish coating, contain 2-6 pieces. seeds Frost-resistant, drought-resistant.
Chinese juniper in the photo
Chinese juniper- trees or shrubs with a columnar or pyramidal crown. Young shoots are grayish or yellowish-green, round, later brownish. The bark of the trunks is brownish-gray. The needles are predominantly opposite or in young specimens partially whorled (crosswise opposite and needle-shaped in whorls of three), on the shoots they are scaly, rhombic, blunt, tightly pressed to the shoot up to 1.5 mm in length. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Cone berries are single or in groups, spherical or ovoid, 6-10 mm in size, mature blue-black.
This type of juniper prefers fertile, well-moistened soils. Does not tolerate drought well. Withstands temperatures down to -30° without visible damage.
As you can see in the photo, this decorative juniper is used for single, group and alley plantings:
Juniper on the site 
Juniper on the site
Of the numerous decorative forms in summer cottages, the “variegata” form is grown - with whitish tips of the shoots, and the “fitzeriana” - with spreading, upward-pointing branches and drooping branches. The variegated, low-growing form is interesting - with arched branches and drooping greenish and golden shoots.
This type of juniper can be grown as a bonsai.
Here you can find photos, names and descriptions of other varieties of juniper suitable for growing in the garden.
Siberian juniper in the photo
Siberian juniper- a low-growing (up to 1 m) creeping shrub with short, sharp, dark green, prickly needles. It is characterized by winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
Juniperus virginiana in the photo
Red cedar- monoecious evergreen tree. This juniper looks like a real giant - its height reaches up to 20 m. Its homeland is North America. The crown is narrowly ovoid, the needles are long (up to 13 mm) and prickly. The cones ripen in the fall, already in the first year. They are dark blue, with a waxy coating, up to 5 mm in diameter, sweet in taste, and contain 1-2 seeds. Grows quickly, especially with sufficient moisture. Less frost-hardy than Siberian and ordinary. Easily propagated by seeds when sown in autumn or stratified in spring. It tolerates pruning well, but does not tolerate replanting.
Among the common garden forms of juniper virginiana are plants with columnar and pyramidal crowns; with drooping and spreading branches with bluish needles, a rounded spherical crown and bright green needles.
Long-coniferous juniper- tree or shrub. Young shoots are greenish, later - brown, round, glabrous. The bark is scaly-flaky, dark gray in color. The needles are pointed, three in whorls, 15-20 mm long, dark green or bluish, hard, prickly, shiny.
This type of plant has juniper cones, single and in groups, spherical or oval, 5-10 mm in diameter, ripe ones are black, with a faint bluish bloom. Triangular shaped seeds.
This type of juniper is suitable for group and single plantings, for decorative design slopes and rocky places, because it is not picky about soil and moisture. Propagated by seeds.
Forms with a spherical crown and a compact pyramidal bush are known.
Juniper dwarf- it is mainly a shrub up to 1 m tall. Stems are recumbent, rooting. Young shoots are green and bare. The bark of the branches and trunks is brown, on older ones it is scaly and flaky. This variety of juniper has needles in whorls of three, prickly, hard, up to 1 cm long, bluish-green.
Cone berries are single or in groups, almost spherical, 5-10 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish coating, seeds including 2-3, wrinkled, tetrahedral.
In garden design, it is suitable for single plantings on lawns, ridges, rocky hills, and for landscaping slopes. It is undemanding to soils.
Among natural forms stunted The most popular is “Glauka” with recumbent branches and bluish-gray needles, as well as the “Renta” form with obliquely upward directed arched branches with slightly bluish-gray needles. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering.
Juniper reddish- tree or shrub. Young shoots and needles are green, and later acquire a yellowish color. The bark is brown-gray, flaky. There are two original white stripes on the top of the needles. The shape of the needles is grooved, prickly and shiny.
The cone berries are spherical, 10 mm in diameter, ripe - reddish-brown, shiny, without a bluish coating.
The species is decorative with yellow colored needles and reddish cone berries. It differs from other species in its lack of cold resistance. It is propagated by seeds, of which there are 2-3 per coneberry. They are brown and slightly triangular.
Juniper tall- a tree up to 15 m high. Young shoots are bluish-dark green, compressed tetrahedral, glabrous. The bark of the branches and trunks is brownish-red, peeling off with age. The needles are crosswise opposite, 2-5 mm long, pointed, ovate-lanceolate in shape, rarely needle-shaped, bluish-green.
The cone berries are single, spherical, 10-12 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish coating, brown seeds.
Pay attention to the photo of this variety of juniper - it is very decorative, has a beautiful, dense, wide-pyramidal or ovoid crown. Suitable for single and group plantings, grows well on dry rocky slopes.
Like most other types of juniper, it is winter-hardy, drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil, tolerates pruning well, so can be used in borders. Propagated by seeds.
Juniper scaly- a slow-growing shrub with an oval crown. When young, the crown is rounded, the branches are raised, bluish-green. The needles are needle-shaped, prickly, gray, short, dense, collected in whorls. The fruits are red-brown cones; When ripe in the second year they become almost black.
Grow various shapes this juniper, among which there are plants with a spherical, vase-shaped, spread-out crown.
In our gardens this type Juniper is most often found in the form:
"Blue Star" is a shrub 40-45 cm high and a crown diameter of 50 cm with silver-blue and very prickly needles. He looks good on alpine roller coaster, as well as in containers.
It is quite frost-resistant, but often suffers from the spring sun.
Methods of juniper propagation and growing conditions (with photo)
The method of juniper propagation is chosen depending on the species - seeds, green cuttings, layering.
The seeds ripen in cones a year or two after flowering. The cones are left hanging on the tree until sowing. It is better to sow in the fall (November) in the seed furrows, into which it is necessary to add soil from under an adult juniper plant, keeping in mind the introduction of mycorrhiza into the new soil. If sowing is done in the spring, then preliminary stratification of the seeds is necessary in wet sand, in the first month at a temperature of +20...+30°, and then 4 months - at +14...+15°. Substrate for sowing - 1 part sifted turf land and 1 part pine sawdust.
As shown in the photo, when propagating juniper, good results are obtained by planting green cuttings in greenhouses, and in summer - in greenhouses:
Juniper propagation 
Juniper propagation
Green cuttings are indispensable for propagating garden forms. Cuttings are taken with the “heel” only from young plants.
The substrate - 1 part peat, 1 part juniper needle - is placed on a layer of compost, covered with a layer of turf soil, taken from under the juniper plant. Cuttings are sprayed 4-5 times a day. Most suitable time for cutting cuttings - April. For better rooting, cuttings should be treated with a growth stimulant, immersing them for 24 hours in a solution of Epin, Zircon, Ukorenit, Kornevin, Kornerosta or another drug.
One of the main conditions for growing junipers is compliance temperature regime. The optimal air temperature during cuttings should be +23...+24° with a relative humidity of 80-83%.
After 1-1.5 months, a thickening appears on the juniper cuttings - callus. Immediately after this, they are transferred to the ridges, where they overwinter.
Caring for and growing junipers is not difficult, since all types of these plants are unpretentious, growing well on a wide variety of soils, including sand and wetlands, but preference is given to light nutrient substrates.
Most species are light-loving, drought-resistant, sharp fluctuations temperature and damage from diseases and pests.
Considering the peculiarities of growing junipers, you cannot dig up the soil under these plants in the fall to avoid damaging the roots. The tree trunk circle should be covered with a layer of fallen pine needles.
When growing juniper in the garden, all types of these plants are unpretentious, that is, they are able to withstand frost and drought, and practically do not require fertilizers or pruning. However, there are certainly secrets to the agricultural technology of growing junipers in culture, as evidenced by their frequent loss of decorativeness, and sometimes sudden death.
Planting a seedling in a permanent place is fraught with difficulties, since juniper does not like transplants. The tree for transplantation is dug in a circle and, together with a lump of earth, is transferred to a new place. In this case, the goal is to minimally injure the root system.
To successfully care for juniper, planting dates are determined by root growth. Juniper has two growth periods: early spring (March) and mid-summer (June-July). However, according to weather conditions the second, summer period is not suitable due to drought. At the same time, planting in the fall may be considered advisable. During the winter, the plant is dormant, and with the beginning of spring it begins to actively take root.
These photos show planting and caring for juniper on personal plot:
Juniper in the garden
Junipers are worthy of widespread use in the design of summer cottages. Their decorative forms are especially picturesque. They are not only beautiful, but by secreting phytoncides, like all conifers, they improve the health of our habitat.
Each of the most common types of junipers has its own specificity and value.
Low-growing forms of junipers are successfully used as ground cover.
Juniper as a silver-blue carpet
Forms such as "Glauka", "Blue Star" And "Old Gold", are capable of creating a beautiful silver-blue carpet under trees and tall bushes.
Pyramidal juniper species are usually planted as single plants or in small groups near various architectural structures, as well as on lawns and alpine hills. They are good in a quiet corner formed by trees, herbs and perennials.
Thuja and juniper are so similar that a person who does not have special education, it is quite difficult to understand the differences. Indeed, externally the trees have a lot in common, and first of all, the similarity is manifested in the scale-like needles, which are very different from the usual pine, spruce and fir needles. How is thuja different from juniper and how are they similar? Let's try to understand this in more detail.
Similarities and differences
By the type of needles, thuja cannot be distinguished from most types of juniper. In both plants it has the appearance of scales, characteristic of all cypress trees, and only in young plants - needles. True, in some species of juniper, needles remain in the form of needles throughout their lives. Differences appear in the shape of the cones and in the size of the plants. Thuja and juniper are characterized by cones of different types. In thuja they are oval or oblong with two or six pairs of scales. And in juniper, the coneberries (that’s what its fruits are called) are predominantly spherical in shape with one or ten seeds in different species.
Thuja in ornamental gardening
The difference between thuja and juniper is clearly visible in the size of these plants. Both juniper and thuja include several species, and these can be both shrubs and trees, often very tall. For example, the tree-like juniper can reach a height of fifteen meters - approximately the windows of the fifth floor. A individual species Thujas grow up to seventy meters with a trunk diameter of six meters! Although, of course, the sizes are generally much more modest.
Comparison by position in the taxonomy of the cypress family and distribution in nature
Juniper and thuja are separate genera belonging to the cypress family. Which, in turn, is part of the class coniferous plants. The genus of juniper includes sixty-seven species, the genus of thuja - only five. Some plants, previously attributed by naturalists to the genus Thuja, were later separated into an independent genus of the Cypress family, for example, the oriental flatflower (in Latin Platycladus orientalis).
Branch of young juniper with fruits Natural range Juniper grows in the Northern Hemisphere from subarctic regions to the tropics. Thuja is less widespread. The territories where it occurs in the wild are scattered regions of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Both plants are unpretentious to the soil, therefore they are widely used in landscaping urban areas and in ornamental gardening. Juniper, in addition, has long been used in Food Industry: Its ground cones serve as spices in the preparation of various dishes and some alcoholic drinks.
Of all the junipers, the Cossack one is considered the most poisonous. But at the same time, this is one of the most spectacular shrubs among all types of juniper and one of the most unpretentious. Everything in it is poisonous - the stems, foliage and berries, but this did not at all affect its popularity in Russia. Just when growing ephedra you need to follow simple rules security.
Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina) - description
- In Russia it is found in the mountains of the Caucasus, Crimea, southern Urals, Kazakhstan and Altai, and in Siberia.
- This creeping shrub, semi-creeping forms are often found, which rise above the ground to a height of 1-1.5 meters. It quickly grows in width, since the shoots in contact with the ground take root well on their own and form extensive dense thickets.
- Although it grows very slowly, for example, in the Moscow region, in 1 year of life it adds only 6-8 cm.
- Trunks dressed in red-brown bark with peeling scales.
- On young plants needles needle-shaped with a pointed tip. Their length is 4-6 mm. The upper side of the needles is bluish-green and soft with a distinct vein in the middle.
- In mature individuals, the needles are scale-like and hard. If you rub several needles in your palm, the resulting pungent odor will prevent you from confusing the species with other junipers.
- Bloom occurs in April-May.
- Berries very small and almost spherical, 5-10 mm in size. They look like brown-black beads with a bluish coating, scattered in blue-green pine “cotton wool”. Distinguish them from edible berries Common juniper is very simple. The Cossack-type berry contains only two seeds inside, while the common juniper has three.
- Cossack juniper tolerates winter cold well. It is tolerant of drought and the harsh conditions of the city - smoke and gases. Loves sunny places and is not at all picky about the composition of the soil.
- Only young plants during the period of active growth require regular watering. Adult plants are not demanding of humidity.
- In early spring it needs feeding. Very fertile soils may lose its typical crown shape.
- Shelter will be required for the winter if the bush is tall and large. And this is only necessary so that the branches do not break from the snow, especially in the spring, when it swells with moisture.
- It survives pruning painlessly.
Juniper berries and oil are toxic!
Ephedra shoots are endowed essential oil- sabino. We must not forget about the toxicity of the plant.
Even in ancient times, one of the founders of botany, Dioscorides, mentioned the ephedra. Interestingly, sabinol oil, contained in the branches and cones of the plant, has an abortifacient effect.
There is a legend that the species got its name from the name (Sabina) of the riotous woman who discovered this property. In some countries, a ban has even been imposed on planting the species in public places.
Severe uterine bleeding is also caused by Cossack juniper berries. Poisoning with berries can cause convulsions and even paralysis. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to eat them, unlike common juniper berries, which are used in preparing dishes and drinks.
Place on site
- The plant is perfect for hedges.
- It will be an addition to the arsenal of plants in a rocky garden.
- Crowded group plantings can be placed on a spacious green lawn.
- Coniferous bushes are sources of not only extraordinary beauty, but also a real storehouse of benefits for the site. Drooping branches take root well and form a kind of reinforcing net for the layers of soil. If you plant it on slopes or near groundwater, plant roots will perfectly strengthen the soil, which will prevent erosion.
- Plants can be used to create wide borders along paths and paths.
No matter how beautiful it is, if there are small children growing up in the house, it is better to choose one. Because of its berries and stems, Cossack juniper is included in the group of 15 most toxic garden plants. And among the huge selection of juniper species, you can always find the one that suits you perfectly.
Hello. Recently, a friend boasted that she dropped her off at large quantities thujas and junipers, as well as others ornamental plants. Thus, she ennobled her country cottage area. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t hurt me to do the same. But the trouble is, I don’t understand this kind of plants at all. In my opinion, there is no difference between them. Or I'm wrong? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Indeed, thujas and junipers are so similar to each other that an ordinary person who does not have any special knowledge may well confuse them. The external similarity of the plants is primarily manifested in the presence of scale-like needles. It resembles the needles of pine, fir, and spruce. Thus, it is impossible to distinguish both of these plants from each other at first glance.
However, it should be taken into account that young shrubs and trees have needle-shaped needles. In some species of juniper it persists throughout its existence. However, trees can be distinguished by the size and shape of the cones. Tree juniper can reach a height of approximately 15 m. This height is comparable to the height of a residential building, which has 5 floors. At the same time, certain types of thuja can grow up to 70 m, the trunk diameter can be 6 m. However, trees of this size are quite rare.
As for the cones, thuja’s cones are oblong or oval. Juniper has a predominant spherical shape of cones. Thuja, like juniper, belongs to the cypress family, which is included in the class of conifers. Moreover, the thuja genus includes only 5 species, while the juniper genus includes 67 species.
There are also differences in the places where plants grow. Wild thuja can be found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, temperate zone regions. Juniper is also found in the Northern Hemisphere, but, unlike thuja, in vast areas from subarctic regions to the tropics. It should be noted that both plants are unpretentious to the soil. That is why they can often be found as suburban areas, and in city parks. These plants are famous for their ability to purify the air from pathogenic microbes.
In addition, juniper fruits are widely used in the food industry. For example, in the form of spices, which are used during the preparation of individual dishes and alcoholic beverages. It is curious that at one time even specialists in the field of botany could not really understand which plants could be called thuja and which could not. Some species that were previously classified in this genus of coniferous plants have recently been considered an independent genus of the cypress family. A clear example The oriental flatflower (Platycladus orientalis) serves this purpose.