3b71c027_lds____Gardens___Cotswold_Life__5
[0] Juniper [1] April to May. [2] The juniper is a tough adaptable plant that mostly exist as low straggly shrubs on exposed limestone grassland sites. Bushes can vary between 1 to 10m tall & can form tall, conical spires. It has dark green evergreen leaves with very prickly stems. Its small flowering cones turn into small, hard, green berries, which take up to 3 yrs to ripen to a dark purple colour. [3] Found across most of the UK, juniper is one of our three native conifers, the other two being Scots pine and yew. Although it's extremely irregular in its distribution. They can be found in the Scottish Highlands, Southern English chalk, Chilterns, North Downs & Salisbury Plain. [4] Juniper is a slow-growing tree which may live for up to 200 years. The male and female flowers are on separate plants, pollinated by the wind. Birds are largely responsible for the spread of the tree. The dark purple berries are famous for flavouring gin. [6] Many juniper populations are within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and there are grants available to landowners to encourage sensitive management of the plant. [5] 
Juniper is a component of several important habitats is believed to have declined by up to 60% since 1960. Listed under the UK Biodiversity Action Plans, the biggest threat to the plant is over-grazing, preventing regeneration of young bushes. But too little grazing also affects juniper as it is shaded out by larger trees. Threats also include burning for game shooting.
Springtime Flowers in the Cotswolds. - Gardens - Cotswold Life
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