There are 115-120 monoecious, medium to tall evergreen, coniferous trees and a few shrub in the Pinaceae Family, in this genus. They are widely distrubuted in forest mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Central America but also in Europe, Northern Africa and Southeastern Asia. The bark is often fissured, and in some species is divided into irregular, plate like sections. Pines bear small bundles of 2-5 rarely 1 or 6-8, needle like, light to dark green or yellow-green to bluish or gray green leaves, which usually persist for 2-4 years sometimes for longer, and range from quite small to as much as 18″ long. The winter buds are usually cylindrical or egg shaped, up to 20″ long, and often resinous. Male and female cones are borne on the same tree, females cones take 2, or occasionally 3 years to ripen, the seeds are winged in most species. Male cones are yellow and catkin like, clustered at the shoot bases. Pines are useful as specimen trees, and for shelter and windbreaks, some cultivars and slow growing species are suitable for a rock garden or mixed border.

Pines are divided into 2 major groups, the white pines (soft pines) with typically 5 needles and non woody cone scales, and the black pines (hard pines) with typically 2 to 4 needles and woody cone scales.

Grow these easily grown plants in any well drained soil in full sun, but may need a symbiotic soil fungus to assist nutrient uptake on poorer soils.

Prone to sawfly, caterpillars, scale insects, mealybugs, miners, borers, blister, rust, butt rot, blights (including Diplodia tip blight), pitch canker, cone rust, tar spot, and brown cubical rot.

P. flexilis Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’- Limber Pine –

Zones 3-7

There are about 60 species of slow growing and long lived, coniferous shrubs and tall trees in this genus.  They are the most drought hardy genus of all conifers.  They occur from dry forest and hillsides throughout the Northern Hemisphere.   Juvenile leaves are usually needle like or narrowly wedge shaped, and ¼-½” long.  Adult leaves are usually scale like and overlap, either lying flat along the shoots or spreading, and 1/16-¼” long. Both juvenile and adult leaves exude a pungent, somewhat pleasant smell when crushed.  In most cases, male and female cones are borne on separate plants: male cones are spherical to ovoid, yellow, and to ¼” across, females develop into usually spherical, fleshy, berry like fruits, 1/8-½” across, with 1-10 seeds, and are persistent, generally ripening over 2 to 3 years.  Junipers tolerate to a wide range of soils and conditions, and are useful for hot, sunny sites.  Use as specimen plants in a rock garden and prostrate species as a groundcover.  Contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Easily grown in any well drained soil, including dry, chalky, or sandy soils, preferably in full sun or in light, dappled shade.  Junipers need little, if any, pruning, other then sculpting or to restrain spread.

Prone to leaf miners, bark beetles, scale insects, aphids, mites, caterpillars, bagworms, phomopsis twig blight, gymnosporangium rust (cedar apple rust), dieback, canker, lesion nematodes, brown felt blight, and a variety of heart rot and wood rots.

J. procumbent  – Bonin Islande Juniper – Creeping Juniper – Japanese garden Juniper – Japanese Juniper – This fast growing, mat species from Southern Japan grows to 12” tall and can spread 5-6’ feet wide. It produces mostly linear, needle like, sharply pointed, green leaves in threes. Bears brown or black fruit.

Zones 3-9

There are about 60 species of slow growing and long lived, coniferous shrubs and tall trees in this genus.  They are the most drought hardy genus of all conifers.  They occur from dry forest and hillsides throughout the Northern Hemisphere.   Juvenile leaves are usually needle like or narrowly wedge shaped, and ¼-½” long.  Adult leaves are usually scale like and overlap, either lying flat along the shoots or spreading, and 1/16-¼” long. Both juvenile and adult leaves exude a pungent, somewhat pleasant smell when crushed.  In most cases, male and female cones are borne on separate plants: male cones are spherical to ovoid, yellow, and to ¼” across, females develop into usually spherical, fleshy, berry like fruits, 1/8-½” across, with 1-10 seeds, and are persistent, generally ripening over 2 to 3 years.  Junipers tolerate to a wide range of soils and conditions, and are useful for hot, sunny sites.  Use as specimen plants in a rock garden and prostrate species as a groundcover.  Contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Easily grown in any well drained soil, including dry, chalky, or sandy soils, preferably in full sun or in light, dappled shade.  Junipers need little, if any, pruning, other then sculpting or to restrain spread.

Prone to leaf miners, bark beetles, scale insects, aphids, mites, caterpillars, bagworms, phomopsis twig blight, gymnosporangium rust (cedar apple rust), dieback, canker, lesion nematodes, brown felt blight, and a variety of heart rot and wood rots.

J. communis ‘Sentinel’ – Common Juniper – This upright forming shrub, from the Northern Hemisphere.  It grows 5′ feet tall and 24″ inches wide. It produces linear, sharply pointed leaves that are medium green, coarse needles, with single, glaucous white bands on inner faces, are carried in three’s.  Ovoid or spherical fruit, green when first produced, ripen to glaucous blue then black over 3 years and used for flavoring gin.

Zones 2-6

There are about 60 species of slow growing and long lived, coniferous shrubs and tall trees in this genus.  They are the most drought hardy genus of all conifers.  They occur from dry forest and hillsides throughout the Northern Hemisphere.   Juvenile leaves are usually needle like or narrowly wedge shaped, and ¼-½” long.  Adult leaves are usually scale like and overlap, either lying flat along the shoots or spreading, and 1/16-¼” long. Both juvenile and adult leaves exude a pungent, somewhat pleasant smell when crushed.  In most cases, male and female cones are borne on separate plants: male cones are spherical to ovoid, yellow, and to ¼” across, females develop into usually spherical, fleshy, berry like fruits, 1/8-½” across, with 1-10 seeds, and are persistent, generally ripening over 2 to 3 years.  Junipers tolerate to a wide range of soils and conditions, and are useful for hot, sunny sites.  Use as specimen plants in a rock garden and prostrate species as a groundcover.  Contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Easily grown in any well drained soil, including dry, chalky, or sandy soils, preferably in full sun or in light, dappled shade.  Junipers need little, if any, pruning, other then sculpting or to restrain spread.

Prone to leaf miners, bark beetles, scale insects, aphids, mites, caterpillars, bagworms, phomopsis twig blight, gymnosporangium rust (cedar apple rust), dieback, canker, lesion nematodes, brown felt blight, and a variety of heart rot and wood rots.

J. communis ‘Repanda’ – Common Juniper – This low growing, rounded forming shrub, from the Northern Hemisphere.  It grows 15″ inches tall and 6-8′ feet wide. It produces linear, sharply pointed leaves that are medium green, coarse needles, with single, glaucous white bands on inner faces, are carried in three’s.  Ovoid or spherical fruit, green when first produced, ripen to glaucous blue then black over 3 years and used for flavoring gin.

Zones 2-6

There are about 60 species of slow growing and long lived, coniferous shrubs and tall trees in this genus.  They are the most drought hardy genus of all conifers.  They occur from dry forest and hillsides throughout the Northern Hemisphere.   Juvenile leaves are usually needle like or narrowly wedge shaped, and ¼-½” long.  Adult leaves are usually scale like and overlap, either lying flat along the shoots or spreading, and 1/16-¼” long. Both juvenile and adult leaves exude a pungent, somewhat pleasant smell when crushed.  In most cases, male and female cones are borne on separate plants: male cones are spherical to ovoid, yellow, and to ¼” across, females develop into usually spherical, fleshy, berry like fruits, 1/8-½” across, with 1-10 seeds, and are persistent, generally ripening over 2 to 3 years.  Junipers tolerate to a wide range of soils and conditions, and are useful for hot, sunny sites.  Use as specimen plants in a rock garden and prostrate species as a groundcover.  Contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Easily grown in any well drained soil, including dry, chalky, or sandy soils, preferably in full sun or in light, dappled shade.  Junipers need little, if any, pruning, other then sculpting or to restrain spread.

Prone to leaf miners, bark beetles, scale insects, aphids, mites, caterpillars, bagworms, phomopsis twig blight, gymnosporangium rust (cedar apple rust), dieback, canker, lesion nematodes, brown felt blight, and a variety of heart rot and wood rots.

J. communis ‘Prostrata’ – Common Juniper – This fast growing, prostrate, mat forming shrub, from the Northern Hemisphere.  It grows 8-12″ inches tall and 5-6′ feet wide. It produces linear, sharply pointed leaves that are green needles, with single, glaucous white bands on inner faces, are carried in three’s.  Ovoid or spherical fruit, green when first produced, ripen to glaucous blue then black over 3 years and used for flavoring gin.

Zones 2-6