Native Plants

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Tuesday - July 17, 2007

From: Tucson, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: Propagation of Juniperus deppeana by seed
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hello, I am interested in any info you can provide me on alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana) seed propagation. Thank you.

ANSWER:

The seeds of Juniperus deppeana (alligator juniper), apparently, are not particularly easy to germinate. In fact, all Juniperus sp. require a cold stratification period to germinate and even then you may get slow or irregular germination. The Thompson and Morgan Seed Raising Guide give general guidelines for Juniperus sp.

The U. S Forest Service says that it may take as long as 3 years to get the seeds of J. deppeana to germinate because of the hard, impermeable seed coat and chemical inhibitors within the seed. You can read their suggestions for cold stratification times and methods to enhance the permeability of the seed coat under "Regeneration Processes" in the Botanical and Ecological Characteristics section of their report on J. deppeana.

Plants for the Future also has some guidelines for seed germination.