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Sunday - April 22, 2007

From: Bronxville, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Pollinators
Title: Pollinator for Juniperus virginiana "Grey Owl"
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I would like to buy Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl' as a source of berries for birds. 'Grey Owl' is a female clone, so it obviously must need a male pollinator. What J. virginiana male pollinator would work? I can't find any references to this. Thanks.

ANSWER:

You are correct that if you are going to have juniper berries on your 'Grey Owl', it will have to be pollinated. Juniperus virginiana 'Gray Owl' is thought to be a hybrid between J. virginiana ‘Glauca’ and J. chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’. If it is a hybrid between two different Juniperus species, it could very well be sterile such as a mule (which is a hybrid between a horse and a donkey) and be incapable of reproduction. If not a hybrid, I would think that any J.virginiana pollen would work quite well.

 
 

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