Thursday, November 7, 2024

Prestigious Plants - Gymnosperms - Conifers 02 - Juniper

Plant Indices

JUNIPER (Juniperus)

Family: Cupressaceae

Juniperus phoenicea, Own Work, Eckhard Pecher.

Asia, East

  • Japanese: Kazushi, Nibai, Shimpaku

Asia, South

  • Hindi: Katran
  • Marathi: Kota

Asia, Southeast

  • Malay: Pokok Juniper
  • Thai: Pathuom
  • Vietnamese: Bâch

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Ar'ar, Arar
  • Hebrew: Zeruwei
  • Persian: Shanber, Shokohava
  • Turkish: Ardıç

Europe, Central

  • Czech: Jalovec
  • German: Einer, Kranawit, Reckholder, Wacholder
  • Hungarian: Boróka, Katák
  • LINGUA IGNOTA: Schalnihilbuz
  • Polish: Można
  • Slovak: Borievka, Borovica, Jalovcový

Europe, Eastern

  • Estonian: Kadaka
  • Lithuanian: Kadagys
  • Romanian: Brin
  • Russian: Mozhzhevel'nik

Europe, Northern

  • Danish: Enebær
  • Finnish: Kataja
  • Icelandic: Einer
  • Norwegian: Enebrø
  • Swedish: En

Europe, Southern

  • Asturian: Enuíbru
  • Greek: Arkeuthis
  • Italian: Ginepro
  • Portuguese: Zimbro
  • Spanish: Enebro, Sabina

Europe, Western

  • Dutch: Een
  • English: Juniper
  • French: Genévrier, Thuya

Northern Hemisphere; the Arctic; Asia; Tropical Africa

  • Africa, Central: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda
  • Africa, Eastern: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
  • Africa, Northern: Algeria, Egypt (Sinai), Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
  • America, North: Bahamas, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, United States (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
  • America, South: Windward Islands
  • Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia (Altay, Tuva), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang
  • Asia, East: China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (Amur, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Islands, Magadan, Primorye, Sakhalin, Yakutiya), Taiwan
  • Asia, South: Afghanistan, India (Assam), Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Southeast: Myanmar
  • Asia, Western: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen
  • Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland
  • Europe, Eastern: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine
  • Europe, Northern: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden
  • Europe, Southern: Corsica, Greece (Crete), Italy (Sardinia, Sicily), Portugal (Azores, Madeira), Spain (Baleares, Canary Islands)
  • Europe, Western: Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Scotland
  • Oceania: Bermuda

A genus of coniferous trees and shrubs. It can grow at very high altitudes, with the juniper forest in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas forming one of the highest tree lines on Earth at an altitude of 4,900m (16,100ft).

The wood is flexible and has a high compression strength-to-weight ratio, making it desirable for hunting bows by some.

Victorian Flower Language
According to Greenaway, the juniper is an emblem of succor and protection. This is likely directly informed by Elijah's story.

The biblical prophet Elijah slept under a juniper tree during his flight from Jezebel and was provided sustenance by an angel of the Lord. Similarly, in a non-canonical account from the 6th century, Mary and Joseph hid with the infant Jesus behind a juniper, evading the soldiers of Herod. Supposedly, the weak are protected in the juniper's shade just as the hare hides from the hound. In that scenario, the juniper's fragrance is believed to mask any trail and prevent hounds from tracking by scent.

It was burned or its sap smeared on dwellings to drive away evil spirits, much as smudging by sage.

Furies
To the Greeks, it was the tree of the Erinyes, the Furies.

Justice/Rebirth?
In an old German tradition, they tell the story of a boy who went to fetch himself an apple before being killed by his stepmother. She boiled him in a soup and buried his bones under a juniper. The juniper caught fire, and a bird leaped from its branches. The bird spread the story of the murder far and wide. The bird gave the sister of the murdered boy gifts and killed the stepmother by making a millstone fall upon her head before returning to the burning juniper and emerging from the flame as the human boy.

Illustration of Elijah nourished by an angel
under the juniper tree, Dore Bible, 1866.

Ogham
In the Celtic tree alphabet, the juniper is represented along with the broom (the reed) by the ngéatal (NYEH-dl) rune ( ; three diagonal slashes; [ng] sound). This represents the [ng] sound and can mean "killing," being cognate with the word gonid ("slays"). Modern Neopagans also tie the juniper with the goose and light yellow-green color in their script casting.

Bows
Native Americans of the Great Basin used bows to make bows. Staves were typically backed with sinew to provide tension strength.

Cladding
Juniper branches were used in traditional cladding in Norway to shield against rain while permitting draft.

Juniper cladding, Own work, Frode Inge Helland.

Fencing
Juniper wood is irregular, dense, and rot-resistant, making it ideal for fence posts.

Carpentry
Often sold under the market name "cedar," and frequently the "red cedar" used in many drawers and closets. If you read "redcedar" instead of "red cedar" or "red-cedar," it's probably an indication that the wood is actually juniper rather than real cedar.

Offering
Locals of the Lahual Valley in Tibet present juniper leaves to their deities, supposedly collecting copious amounts of wood and leaves for religious purposes.

Preservation
Juniper oil was used in antiquity to preserve the integrity of papyrus.

Juniper oil, from moodandmind.com.

Fumigation and Saining
The Greeks burned juniper berries in their funerary rites, using the smoke to ward off demons. They also burned the roots in an offering to Hades.

It is also used in the traditional saining (blessing/consecrating/protecting) rites of Scottish Gaelic folklore and modern Gaelic Neopaganism, such as the New Year rites of Hogmanay. In conjunction with prayers and other ritual acts, juniper smoke is used to clean a household and bless its inhabitants during these rites.

Thief-Catching
According to Skinner, there is a spell by which one can compel a thief to return your property using a juniper bush, a stone, and the brain-pan of a murderer. Bend the juniper to the ground, weigh it down with the stone and brain pan, and say:

"Juniper, I bend and squeeze you 'till the thief [suspect name here] returns what he has taken, to its place."

Accordingly, the thief will feel compelled to restore the stolen property to its owner, after which it will be considered wise to release the tree from its condition to fulfill the agreement.

Witch-Warding
An Italian tradition holds that you can halt witches at the threshold with a juniper bough, where they will be compelled to count every needle and scale until they give up. This is very similar to a ward against vampires, where one casts seeds at the threshold, and the vampire must count them until the sun rises.

Calm Sheep Stave

Sheep stave, as shown in Lecouteux's
Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells: From Abraxas to Zoar.

To ensure the docility of your sheep, find a branch of juniper or willow facing the east at sunrise, carve this stave upon it, and compel your animals to walk over it in summer and beneath it in the winter.

We are not a medical website; do not take health advice from us.

According to Apelian and Davis, Juniper berries and needles can be imbibed in food or infusion. While berries may be preferable, they are seasonal, and the needles can be harvested year-round.

Berries should be picked just as they ripen when they appear dark blue and have the highest concentration of desired oils. While it is preferred to use fresh berries medicinally due to the oil's volatility, dried juniper berries are acceptable for medical use so long as they were picked when they were ripe.

Juniper is consumed in infusion or taken orally by eating the crushed, dried berries. It may also be applied as an essential oil, though this is best done through a second medium, such as a carrier oil or lard.

Juniper is attributed the following qualities:

  • Analgesic
  • Antibacterial
  • Antifungal
  • Anti-aging
  • Diabetes treatment
  • Digestive aid
  • Diuretic
  • Epilepsy treatment
  • Respiratory aid

Antibacterial/Antifungal
Juniper berries are an effective antibacterial, treating:

  • E. Coli
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Pneumonia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Some antibiotic-resistant bacteria
  • Fungal infections (both internal and external)

This antibacterial/fungal action makes it an effective topical treatment for wounds and skin infections.

GI Issues
The bitter, astringent qualities of juniper berries are credited with improving salivary and enzyme action, as well as improved acid production, which helps prevent:

  • Heartburn
  • Indigestion
  • Flatulence
  • Gas

Diuretic
Juniper berries are a diuretic which relieves fluid buildup and bloating. This treats or relieves the following:

  • Inflammation
  • Excess sodium
  • UTI
  • Injury-based water retention
  • Edema (dropsy; fluid-retention/swelling)
  • Gout

Anti-Aging
The antioxidants in juniper berries slow age-based damage to cells, and the diuretic action reduces damage caused by the buildup of uric acid or fluid, generally keeping skin and other tissues healthy. This helps the body pre-empt:

  • Arthritis
  • Development of fine lines and wrinkles
  • Cancer
  • Heart disease

Respiratory Inhalant
Juniper needles can clear respiratory congestion through an inhaled steam infusion. The people of the Lahual Valley in Tibet use the same technique to treat asthma, suggesting that the steam infusion is a decongestant and an anti-inflammatory.

Diabetes Treatment
McCabe et al. claim that the juniper is a diabetes treatment in Navajo folk medicine. Apelian and Davis warn against diabetics using juniper. Presupposing there is accuracy in both these sources, it would seem that juniper could be a diabetes treatment, but it will interfere with other diabetes treatments rather than complement them.

Painkiller
The people of the Lahual Valley, Tibet, employ juniper as an analgesic.

Epilepsy
The people of the Lahual Valley, Tibet, employ juniper to treat epilepsy.

As with many edible plants, overconsumption can lead to unpleasant toxic effects. Overconsumption of juniper is known to cause irritation of the kidneys. Its diuretic properties are also known to cause problems for those with bleeding disorders and are dangerous to consume after surgery.

It is ill-advised for pregnant or nursing women to consume juniper, which we are left to speculate is for the same reasons. Pregnant women are already under heavy biological stresses across their whole system, which may make them more sensitive to toxic effects, not to mention susceptibility to bleeding during the birthing process. The fetus and nursing infant are also liable to absorb the essential oils through the placental barrier and breastmilk, respectively, and their small bodies will be much more sensitive to these toxic effects than adults.

As noted earlier, it can interfere with diabetes medication.

Juniper pollen is highly allergenic and known to cause both serious respiratory problems and contact dermatitis.

Juniper berries are edible and nutritious and are known to be high in calcium. Their volatiles are bitter and astringent, so they are commonly dried and stored to improve their palatability. Crushing the berries, fresh or dry, releases their distinct flavor, which is used to spice many dishes. Juniper sauce is a popular choice for many game dishes, both poultry and venison. The berries are also the primary flavorant of gin.

The twigs and needles can also be boiled into an herbal tea.

  • What if someone fails to release the juniper in the thief-catching spell? What consequences follow? Will the juniper seek revenge?
  • The German story of the murdered boy introduces two ideas: first, that a burning juniper indicates a crime, possibly up to the manifestation of a revenant spirit; second, that juniper fire indicates regeneration. The first can easily be tied to the Greek association with the Furies, making Juniper a wood of vengeful and righteous retribution.
  • A good wand wood for righteous offensive magic. In Dungeons & Dragons, one might find such a device in the hands of a Good-aligned cleric. The wood provides protection and succor for the innocent or otherwise blessed. As the wood of the Erinyes, it is emblematic of divine judgment, just as it is in the German folktale. Thus, it is a wood that protects the innocent and brings righteous wrath down upon the wicked.
  • The Ogham symbolism further compounds this wrathful dimension: "killing/slaying."
  • Juniper might also be a good wood for a magical crozier for the same reason, with the added layer of protection of the flock identified in the Icelandic protection staves.
  • Juniper wood is suitable for consecration. It is rot-resistant, making it suitable for staking out or otherwise marking the boundaries or corners of sacred space. Its fumigant smoke alters the character of space within the markers.
  • The numerical ward against the action of witches suggests that multitudes are a ward in and of themselves. One might use "counter-magic" (pun definitely intended) in many forms. If this holds, one might dispel the malevolent magical action of a witch or sorcerer with a handful of caraway or sesame seeds.
  • The goose connection employed by modern neopagans would tie the juniper to Mercury (the deity, planet, and metallic element). This is worth expanding on, especially regarding the flame.
  • From the previous, a juniper torch may well be an emblem of divine inspiration, delivering Apollo's insight (abstract) through the mercurial messenger.
  • This would also make the juniper an excellent tree to sleep under for divine insight.
  • Presupposing there is something to juniper as an epilepsy treatment that would compound its role as an emblem of protection and succor. One may hide from the storm under a juniper out in the world, but the juniper, too, can shield the refugee from the neurological storm of epilepsy.

African Juniper (Juniperus procera)

Juniperus procera, Robert L. Anderson, USDA Forest Service.

Africa, Eastern

  • Amharic: Masessen
  • Kikuyu: Mutarakwa
  • Luganda: Muziriti
  • Maasai: Ol-Tarakwa
  • Swahili: Tarakwa
  • Tigrinya: Ted, Tedh

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Habash, Yahasha

Europe, Western

  • English: African Juniper, African Pencil Cedar, East African Cedar, East African Juniper, Ethiopian Juniper, Kenya Cedar, Pencil Cedar

Only juniper found south of the equator.

  • Africa, Eastern: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
  • Africa, Northern: Sudan
  • Asia, West: Saudi Arabia, Yemen

African juniper is a medium-sized evergreen tree, 20-25m (66-82ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1.5-2m (5-6.5ft) in diameter. Its crown ranges from broadly conical to rounded to irregular.

This plant is typically dioecious (sexually distinct) but has been observed in hermaphroditic form occasionally. The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 4-8mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing 2-5 seeds, which mature over 12-18 months. The male cones are 3-5mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Used as a timber tree in building houses, poles, and furniture. The bark is used to make beehives.

  • If the protection and succor symbolism holds, does the use of the bark in agricultural beehives contribute to the perception, or is it informed by the perception?
  • More can be done with juniper bees or honey from bees housed in juniper hives.

Black Juniper (Juniperus indica)

Juniperus indica

Asia, Central

  • Kyrgyz: Karagach
  • Pashto: Banhkujin

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Du Gui, Huanzang Gui
  • Tibetan: Kila, Pama, Shukpa, Sukpa

Asia, South

  • Balti: Shur
  • Kumaoni: Thelu
  • Ladakhi: Raga
  • Nepali: Bhui Dhup, Dhupi, Dhupkanda, Thelu
  • Sherpa: Chokaping, Yapkaning

Europe, Central

  • German: Indischer Wacholder

Europe, Southern

  • Spanish: Junipero De La India

Europe, Western

  • English: Black Juniper, Himalayan Juniper, West Himalayan Juniper
  • French: Genévrier De L'Inde
  • Asia, East: China (China South-Central)
  • Asia, South: Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

Black Juniper is an evergreen shrub, growing up to 2m (6.5ft) tall with mostly horizontal branching. It is the highest-growing woody plant on earth, found at altitudes between 2,600-5,200m (8,500-17,100ft), especially in the Himalayas.

The plant is sexually dioecious, and its mature seeds are glossy black and berry-like, growing 6-10mm long. Its seeds are consumed by birds, who digest the fleshy pulp and excrete the core seeds.

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

Juniperus chinensis, own work, Chhe.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Yuan Zi Bai
  • Japanese: Ai Byakushin, Byakushin, Hiba, Ibuki, Itosugi, Kaizuka, Mittsu-Ha-Shimpaku, Shimpaku, Toa Byakushin
  • Mandarin: Bai Mu, Jinyinbai, Xiang Bo

Asia, Southeast

  • Indonesian: Jenevier China, Juniper Cina

Europe, Central

  • German: Chinesischer Wacholder

Europe, Southern

  • Italian: Ginepro Cinese
  • Spanish: Enebro De China

Europe, Western

  • English: Chinese Juniper, Chinese Juniper, Himalayan Pencil Cedar
  • French: Genévrier De Chine
  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Inner Mongolia), Japan, Korea
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Khabarovsk, Kuril Is., Primorye, Sakhalin)
  • Asia, Southeast: Myanmar

Chinese juniper is a coniferous evergreen in the form of a shrub or tree, ranging from 1-20m (3-65ft) tall.

This plant is typically dioecious (sexually distinct) but has been observed in hermaphroditic form occasionally. The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 7-12mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing 2-4 seeds, which mature over ~18 months. The male cones are 2-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Bonsai
In Japanese bonsai art, this species is cultivated and called "Shimpaku."

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Drooping Juniper (Juniperus recurva)

Juniperus recurva, from Sinclair & Long, by Julian Sutton.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Xue Tong
  • Dzongkha: Dangme Shing
  • Tibetan: Shukpa

Asia, South

  • Nepali: Druepal, Dukpa

Asia, Southeast

  • Vietnamese: Tam Huong

Europe, Western

  • English: Drooping Juniper, Bhutan Drooping Juniper, Drooping Juniper, Himalayan Drooping Juniper, Himalayan Weeping Juniper, Kashmir Juniper, Nepalese Drooping Juniper, Weeping Blue Juniper, Weeping Juniper
  • Asia, East: China (China South-Central)
  • Asia, South: India (Assam), Myanmar, Nepal
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

Drooping juniper is a large evergreen shrub or tree, reaching 6-20m (20-66ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2m (6.5ft) in diameter. Its crown is broadly conical to rounded to irregular. Grows at altitudes of 3,000-4,000m (9,800-13,100 ft).

This juniper is mostly hermaphroditic (monoecious). Its female cones are glossy blue-black, 5-10mm long and 4-7mm wide, and contain one seed that matures in ~18 months. The male cones are 3-4mm long and release pollen in early spring.

  • This tree's drooping habit suggests weeping, which might be employed as a malefic. As some have used junipers in bow-making, drooping junipers would be suitable for producing a magic bow that employed spirit-dart style defixions, afflicting them to the point of weeping.

False Savin (Juniperus pseudosabina)

Juniperus pseudosabina, Philippe de Spoelberch.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Yi Gui

Europe, Southern

  • Spanish: Sabina Falsa

Europe, Western

  • English: False Savin, Dwarf Black Juniper, False Savin Juniper, Sayan Juniper, Tibetan Savin, Turkestan Juniper, Xinjiang Juniper
  • Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
  • Asia, East: China (Xinjiang)
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay)
  • Asia, South: Afghanistan, Pakistan

Biome: Mountains

False savin is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows 1-10m (3.5-33ft) tall. Grows at altitudes of 2,000-4,100m (6,600-13,500ft).

False savin is typically dioecious (sexually distinct) but has been observed in hermaphroditic form occasionally. The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 8-14mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing a single seed, which matures after ~18 months. The male cones are 2-3mm long and shed pollen in late winter.

  • The "falsity" of this juniper could be conflated with its dwarfish habit by identifying it with dwarves-as-sprites. It could then be interpreted as being related to the deception of fae or as having its savin-like properties cosmically set aside for dwarven benefit.
  • From the above, interference with the false savin for medicine or magic could be a transgression against the fae, inviting retribution.

Flaky Juniper (Juniperus squamata)

Juniperus squamata, Own work, MPF.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Hong Bian Yuan, Tang Bai
  • Tibetan: Shukpa

Asia, South

  • Nepali: Bismillah, Maye, Paduk, Pathar Dhupi

Europe, Central

  • German: Flaum-Wacholder

Europe, Western

  • English: Flaky Juniper, Himalayan Dwarf Juniper, Himalayan Flaky Juniper, Huashan Juniper, Prickly Juniper, Scaly Juniper, Single Seed Juniper, Squamate Juniper
  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast)
  • Asia, South: Afghanistan, India (Assam), Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

An evergreen shrub (occasionally a tree) growing 2-10m (6.5-33ft) tall, occasionally even reaching 15m (49ft). Its bark is flaky brown, and the tree has a prostrate to irregular crown. It is named for the scale-like quality of its leaves.

This is a largely dioecious plant but occasionally produces hermaphrodites. Female cones are glossy black and berry-like, 4-9mm long and 4-6mm in diameter. They contain one seed that matures after ~18 months. The male cones are 3-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Greek Juniper (Juniperus excelsa)

Juniperus excelsa, Own work, Zeynel Cebeci.

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Arar
  • Hebrew: Algum, Almug
  • Persian: Zeravšan
  • Turkish: Andız, Ardıç, Boz Ardıç, Kan Ardıç, Tütsü Ardıcı, Yüksek Ardıç

Europe, Southern

  • Spanish: Junipero Griego

Europe, Western

  • English: Greek Juniper, Grecian Juniper, Greek Juniper, Himalayan Pencil Cedar, Mediterranean Juniper, Pencil Juniper, Pencil Cedar, Persian Juniper, Prickly Juniper, Tall Juniper
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Krym, North Caucasus)
  • Asia, West: Cyprus, Turkey
  • Europe, Eastern: Ukraine
  • Europe, Southern: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia

Greek juniper is an evergreen shrub or tree that grows between 6-20m (20-66ft) tall, sometimes larger, with a trunk up to 2m (6.5ft) in diameter.

This plant is typically dioecious (sexually distinct) but has been observed in hermaphroditic form occasionally. The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 6-11mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing 3-6 seeds, which mature over ~18 months. The male cones are 3-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Greek juniper often occurs together with stinking juniper (Juniperus foetidissima), distinguished by slenderer shoots of its needles and their grey-green color.

Candidate for the Algum wood used for the pillars of Solomon's temple, with cedar and pine. Also used for making the musical instruments in the temple.

  • Often the juniper referred to in ancient texts (and therefore in the Genus entry above).
  • Perhaps it could be used with cedar and pine to bind spirits, in reference to the foundational narrative of Solomonic sorcery. This is both in reference to the use of pillars and musical instruments.
  • Algum and its corrruptions may be effective voces magicae for abjuration.

Pashtun Juniper (Juniperus seravschanica)

Juniperus seravchanica, Own work, Hayatullah Khan Durrani.

Asia, Central

  • Kazakh: Saur Arčasy
  • Persian: Zeravšan
  • Turkish: Seravshan Ardıcı

Europe, Western

  • English: Pashtun Juniper, Central Asian Juniper, Turkestan Juniper, Zeravshan Juniper
  • Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
  • Asia, South: Afghanistan, Pakistan
  • Asia, West: Iran, Oman

Typically regarded as a subspecies of Juniperus excelsa. Typically occurs at elevations of 1,500-2,000m (4,900-6,600ft). In the Hajar Mountains of Oman, they form open woodlands at elevations of 2,100-3,000m (6,900-9,800ft), occasionally co-dominant with wild European olive (Olea europaea).

  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • Seems that its association with the olive might be most significant here if one were to write a story in an analogous environment, pairing the benefic qualities of the juniper as a shelter with the sustaining, peaceful gifts of the olive and its oil seems the way to go.

Phoenician Juniper (Juniperus phoenicea)

Juniperus phoenicia, Jean Tosti.

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Ar'ar

Europe, Central

  • German: Phönizischer Wacholder

Europe, Southern

  • Italian: Ginepro Fenicio
  • Spanish: Cedro De Lycia, Enebro Fenicio, Junipero Fenicio, Sabina Fenicia, Sabina Mora, Sabina Negral

Europe, Western

  • English: Phoenician Juniper, Fenician Juniper, Lycian Juniper, Phoenician Juniper
  • French: Arbre De l'Encens, Genévrier De Phénicie, Juniperus Rouge
  • Europe, Southern: Italy (including Sardinia), Spain (including Balearic Islands)
  • Europe, Western: France

Phoenician juniper is a large evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 5-8m (16-26ft) and a trunk width of 1-2m (3.2-6.5ft). It has a rounded or irregular crown. The dark grey-brown bark can be peeled off in strips. Its needles are green to blue-green in color.

Phoenician junipers are typically hermaphroditic, though a minority of plants are entirely dioecious. The female cones are berry-like, 6-14mm in diameter and orange-brown, occasionallly with a waxy, pinkish bloom, and contain 3-8 seeds that mature in ~18 months (mainly dispersed by birds). The male cones are 2-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Used for medicine, cosmetics, food, carpentry, and charcoal.

  • Retained for names and distribution.

Savin (Juniperus sabina)

Juniperus sabina, Imagen - Wikimedia/Athantor.

Asia, South

  • Ladakhi: Bacha

Asia, West

  • Persian: Booz
  • Turkish: Ardıç, Kara Ardıç, Sabin

Europe, Central

  • Czech: Venušin Vlas
  • German: Gemeiner Sadebaum, Sadebaum, Sebenbaum, Zebenbaum
  • Hungarian: Borsika
  • LINGUA IGNOTA: Scinzibuz
  • Polish: Jałowiec Sabiński

Europe, Eastern

  • Lithuanian: Ožekšnis
  • Russian: Morzševel'nik Kazackij, Savinka
  • Serbian: Smrdljiva Borovica

Europe, Northern

  • Danish: Almindelig Sevenbom
  • Swedish: Klättertall, Sävenbom

Europe, Southern

  • Catalan: Sabina Ratlla
  • Catalan/Portuguese: Savina
  • Greek: Kyparisoúla
  • Italian: Ginepro Sabina
  • Spanish: Cedro De Sabina, Enebro Rastrero, Enebro Sabina, Miera, Sabina, Sabina Rastrera

Europe, Western

  • Dutch: Sevenbom, Sevenboom
  • English: Savin, Common Savin, Devil's Tree, Herb Savin, Magician's Cypress, Mediterranean Juniper, Savin Juniper
  • French: Genévrier Sabine, Juniperus Femelle, Sabine
  • Latin: Herba Sabina

Mountains of central and southern Europe and western and central Asia; Spain to Siberia.

  • Africa, Northern: Algeria
  • Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan
  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Inner Mongolia), Korea
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Altay, Amur, Chita, East European Russia, Khabarovsk, Krym, North Caucasus, Primorye, South European Russia, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutskiya)
  • Asia, West: Turkey
  • Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Switzerland
  • Europe, Eastern: Bulgaria, Ukraine
  • Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain

Savin is an evergreen shrub that grows from 1-4m (3.5-13ft) tall. It prefers altitudes from 1,000-3,300m (3,300-10,800 ft). The shrub is highly variable in shape.

This is a largely dioecious plant with occasional hermaphrodites. The female cones are blue-black and berry-like, with a whitish, waxy bloom. They are 9mm in diameter and produce 1-3 seeds (though 4 and even 5 aren't unheard of), which mature after ~18 months. The male cones are 2-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Popular ornamental shrub in gardens and parks.

According to Skinner, savin is known as "magician's cypress" and "devil's tree" because it is used in the rituals of wizards and sorcerers.

We are not a medical website; do not take health advice from us.

Used in Rome to help induce birth in cattle and later as an abortifacient in 19th-century America.

Contains abortifacient terpenes, do not give to pregnant women.

  • The name "magician's cypress" makes it an obvious candidate for wandwood.
  • Its abortifacient qualities make it a good wand wood candidate for inquisitors. They can use it to improve the efficacy of counterspells (aborting the spell) or to ease the execution of a ritual (inducing the birth of the mature spell).
  • Inquisitors could also employ the abortifacient properties to compel the truth out of those they interrogate, miscarrying their schemes.
  • This same quality makes it a poor wand wood for schemers, as it may prematurely quicken complex spellwork.
  • Good wand wood for evil warlocks based on tradition and name, though the abortifacient qualities would suggest otherwise. Running with that dangerous medicinal interpretation might prematurely quicken complex spellwork. In the hands of evil, such a wand might be relegated exclusively to defixions rather than any constructive malevolence.
  • Spirit Associations: [Devil]

Spanish Juniper (Juniperus thurifera)

Juniperus thurifera, Own work, Luis Fernández García.

Europe, Central

  • German: Weihrauch-Wacholder

Europe, Southern

  • Italian: Ginepro Turifero
  • Portuguese: Pinheiro-Incenso, Zimbro-De-Incenso
  • Spanish: Cedro De Espana, Cedro De Incienso, Cedro Hispanico, Enebro De Incienso, Enebro De La Miera, Junipero Del Incienso, Sabina Albar, Sabina Albarra, Sabina Blanca, Sabina Espanola, Sabina Pudia, Sabina Roma, Sabina Romera, Sabina Romana, Sabina Thurifera, Trabina

Europe, Western

  • English: Spanish Juniper, French Juniper, Incense Juniper, Spanish Incense Juniper, Spanish Juniper, Thuriferous Juniper
  • French: Arbre D'encens, Genevrier A Encens, Genévrier à l'Encens, Genevrier Thurifere, Sabine A Encens
  • Africa, Northern: Algeria, Morocco
  • Europe, Southern: Spain
  • Europe, Western: France (including Corsica)

Spanish juniper is a large evergreen shrub or tree that grows 6-20m (20-66ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2m (6.5ft) in diameter. Its crown is broadly conical to rounded to irregular. Its leaves are highly aromatic with a spicy-resinous scent.

Spanish juniper is a completely dioecious plant, with separate male and female plants. The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 7-12mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing 1-4 seeds, which mature after ~18 months. The male cones are 3-4mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

  • The notable aromatic qualities of this tree's foliage suggest a greater potency in protective attributes relative to other junipers.

Stinking Juniper (Juniperus foetidissima)

Juniperus foetidissima, Vince Smith.

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Ar'ar
  • Turkish: Ahlat Ardici, Andiz, Kokar Ardıç, Kokulu Ardic

Europe, Central

  • Czech: Pachnouci Jalovec
  • German: Stinkender Wacholder

Europe, Eastern

  • Bosnian: Smrdljiva Kleka
  • Bulgarian: Bozhur
  • Croatian: Smrdljiva Borovica
  • Macedonian: Korav Smric
  • Russian: Mozhzhevel'nik Vonyuchiy
  • Serbian: Korava Kleka
  • Slovenian: Velikoplodni Brin

Europe, Southern

  • Greek: Agriomersini, Bromokédros
  • Italian: Ginepro Fetido, Ginevro Fetido
  • Spanish: Junipero Hediondo

Europe, Western

  • English: Stinking Juniper, Foetid Juniper, Giant Juniper, Tall Juniper
  • French: Genevrier Fetide
  • Asia, Northern: Russia (Krym, North Caucasus)
  • Asia, West: Cyprus, Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan
  • Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia

Stinking juniper is a medium-sized tree, 6-25 m (20-82 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 2.5m (8ft). The oldest tree of this species is estimated to be 1,700 years old, 25m (82ft) tall, with a 3.38m (11ft) diameter trunk.

The needles of this juniper release a fetid smell when crushed, hence the name.

The female flowers produce blue-black, berry-like cones 7-13mm in diameter, with a whitish, waxy bloom, each cone containing 1-2 (rarely 3) seeds, which mature over ~18 months. The male cones are 2-3.5mm long and shed pollen in early spring.

Stinking juniper often occurs with Greek juniper and may be distinguished by its needles' thicker and greener shoots (in addition to the more pungent smell of its crushed needles).

  • Pungent smells are often used to drive away evil spirits. Crushed needles of the stinking juniper may be as effective against various spirits as garlic is supposed to be for vampires.

Tibetan Juniper (Juniperus tibetica)

Juniperus tibetica, John Grimshaw.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Xizang Bai, Zang Bai
  • Tibetan: Shukpa

Europe, Western

  • English: Tibetan Juniper, Himalayan Temple Juniper, Temple Juniper, Tibet Juniper, Tibetan Juniper
  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central)
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

Tibetan juniper is an evergreen shrub or small to medium-sized tree, growing from 5-15m (16-49ft) tall. Occasionally, these trees can reach up to 30m (98ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2m (6.5ft)  in diameter. Candidate for the highest altitude treeline in the world (2,600-4,800 m/8,500-15,700 ft).

This plant is typically hermaphroditic, only occasionally dioecious. The female cones are blue-black and berry-like, 9-16mm long and 7-13mm in diameter, containing a single seed that matures after ~18 months. The male cones are 1.5-2mm long and shed their pollen in spring.

Harvested for lumber and burned for incense by locals. Also used as fodder for livestock.

  • Retained for name and distribution.

* * * * * * *

Prestigious Plants

Other Gymnosperms

-Apelian, Nicole, and Claude Davis. The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies : The Healing Power of Plant Medicine. 2021.

-Drury, N. (2004). The dictionary of the esoteric: 3000 entries on the mystical and occult traditions. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.

-Drury, N. (2005). The Watkins Dictionary of Magic: 3000 entries on the magical traditions. Watkins.

-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.

-Higley, Sarah L. (2007). Hildegard of Bingen's Unknown Language: An Edition, Translation, and Discussion. Palgrave Macmillan.

-Lecouteux, C. (2015). Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells: From Abraxas to Zoar. Simon and Schuster.

-Skinner, Charles M. "Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants : In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery), 1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." Internet Archive, Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970, https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.

-Tresidder, J. (2008). The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols. Watkins.

(https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/28/6/1534/27843/Herbal-Therapies-and-Diabetes-Among-Navajo-Indians)

(https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/juniperus-sabina)

(http://ogham.lyberty.com/otable.html)

(http://ogham.lyberty.com/ogmean.html)

(https://powo.science.kew.org/)

( https://www.secretflowerlanguage.com/ ) — Defunct

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_chinensis)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_excelsa)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_foetidissima)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_indica)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_phoenicea)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_procera)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_pseudosabina)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_recurva)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_sabina)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_seravschanica)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_squamata)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_thurifera)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_tibetica)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogham)

Name assistance provided by Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Prestigious Plants - Gymnosperms - Conifers 01 - Cypress

Plant Indices

CYPRESS (Cupressus)

Family: Cupressaceae

"Cypress Tree," posted by Şãღîã Şคlēē๓.

Africa, Eastern

  • Swahili: Podo

Africa, Southern

  • Afrikaans: Sipres

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Baishù, Bianbai
  • Japanese: Hiba, Hinoki, Itosugi, Saipuresu
  • Korean: Kohhong, Samnamu

Asia, Southeast

  • Indonesian: Sipar, Sipres
  • Malay: Pokok Sipres
  • Thai: Ton sai pret, Ton son sam bai
  • Vietnamese: Bách tán, Bô, Xanh

Asia, West

  • Arabic: Sarw, Shajarat al-sarw
  • Hebrew: Barosh
  • Persian: Sarv
  • Turkish: Selvi, Servi

Europe, Central

  • German: Kupferbaum, Zypresse

Europe, Eastern

  • Albanian: Serviana
  • Bulgarian: Sredizemnomorski kiparis
  • Slovenian: Vednozelena cipresa

Europe, Northern

  • Danish: Livsceder
  • Finnish: Haiskypärä, Kuparis, Sypressi, Välimerenkypressi
  • Norwegian: Sypress

Europe, Southern

  • Catalan: Xiprer
  • Italian: Cipresso
  • Portuguese: Sipresso
  • Spanish: Alerce, Cipres, Ciprés

Europe, Western

  • Dutch: Cypres
  • French: Cyprès
  • Irish: Síopras
  • Scottish Gaelic: Sipreis

Native to:

  • Africa, Northern: Algeria, Libya, Morocco
  • Asia, East: China
  • Asia, South: Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Southeast: Vietnam
  • Asia, Western: Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey
  • Europe, Southern: Greece (Crete, East Aegean Islands)

Introduced to:

  • Africa, Northern: Tunisia
  • Asia, East: Japan
  • Asia, South: India (Assam)
  • Europe, Central: Switzerland
  • Europe, Eastern: Albania, Bulgaria
  • Europe, Southern: France (Corsica), Greece, Italy (Sardinia, Sicily), Portugal, Spain (Baleares, Canary Islands)
  • Europe, Western: France

Cypress is a genus of coniferous trees known for constantly weeping sap.

Wood Properties: Durable, Fragrant, Fumigant.

Immortality
Like most durable evergreens, the cypress is associated with longevity, endurance, and immortality. To the Phoenician tree of life, the Greeks associated the tree with many deities, including Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite. It is referenced biblically for its evergreen nature, which signifies eternal beauty/health. Because of its long-lasting wood and rich fragrance, it was commonly used in the roofing of temples.

Death/Mourning
The association with Hades is apt. The god of the underworld garlanded his head with cypress, a symbol of death, mourning, grief, and despair. Named for a boy beloved of Apollo, Cyparissus, whose closest friend and playmate was a stag. On accidentally striking his friend with a javelin and slaying him, the boy pleaded with the gods that he might mourn forever.* Apollo, taking pity on him, transformed him into a cypress tree, constantly weeping sap from its trunk. Similarly, Aphrodite adorned her head with a cypress wreath when she mourned Adonis in the same manner as the cypress-crowned muse of tragedy, Melpomene. In Athens, households were garlanded with its boughs following a death. Further, the coffins of Egyptians were made of cypress wood.

The underworld symbolism is believed to stem partly from the tree not growing back if trimmed too far (hence why they can be sculpted in the classic Mediterranean style).

*In some accounts, the god Silvanus killed the stag and turned Cyparissus into a tree. In that tradition, Silvanus carries a bough in memoriam.

Cyparissus (c.1625) by Jacopo Vignali.

Hunting
In addition to the hunting associations found in the different versions of the Cyparissus myth, it is also regarded as a tree of Artemis.

Virtue
Referenced biblically for its shape to signify moral uprightness.

The wood of Noah's Ark
A popular English interpretation of the "gopher wood" Noah used to build the Ark was cypress (barosh) wood.

Islamic Miracle
According to an Islamic tradition, a cypress by the tomb of Cyrus the Great would weep blood every week during Friday prayer and, as such, was venerated.

Fire
According to Skinner, the cone-shaped tree resembled flame in Asia, which is why it was planted outside Zoroastrian fire temples. Supposedly, Zoroaster lived in the shadow of a cypress tree. On the island of Cyprus (yes, named for the tree), it was worshiped as a symbol of Ceres/Demeter, who sealed Vulkan inside the crater of the volcano Etna with a cypress tree.

Toscana, Tuscan Cypress. Own work -- Io.tangelini.

Funerary
For all the symbolism and myth associated with cypress in funerary practice, there is a convenient reason cypress trees were chosen to grow in graveyards: the roots dig straight down and expand out only slightly. The roots of cypress trees do not disturb graves.

The tree is associated with both Artemis/Diana and with Hecate, the goddess of magic, crossroads, and the underworld (among other things). Both goddesses are associated with magic in modern religious and occult practice.

  • The cypress has strong associations with the stag or hart. The connection between the tree and animal might be further integrated, with the two serving as each other's iconographic proxies or further as functional synonyms.
  • "Straight as a cypress" or similar might be used as a common cultural simile about honesty. Also, "cypress-straight" or "right as a cypress."
  • As a symbol of death, mourning, and funerary rites, cypress wood seems like an excellent necromantic wand-wood. Paired with its affiliation with Hecate and her domain of the crossroads, this wood is well-suited to conducting and directing the spirits of the dead (or other afterworld denizens).
  • Cypress is a hunter's emblem through the namesake myth and its affiliation with Artemis/Diana. This makes in an effective wooden medium for defixions. Paired with the necromantic qualities previously described, it seems a good wand wood for general malefic action.
  • On the other hand, due to its favorable use in temple roofs, it might effectively protect against necromancy or other malefic magic. This pairs well with the cypress, known as "gopher wood," which protects one from the flood.
  • "Barosh" would make for a good vox magica for wards, calling upon the previous observation.
  • Cypress is probably just a good wand wood, as its particular connotations of immortality reinforce a connection to the cosmic principles that Magicians must navigate.
  • Identified as "resembling fire" in the Near East and with Vulkan's imprisonment in Mt. Etna, the tree is also good wood for conducting fire magic in all its dimensions. The tree itself is an emblem of the eternal, and in the shape of fire invokes the cosmic principle from which fire flows.
  • The above extends beyond the fuse as a wand wood, but can characterize depictions of underworld figures and deities. Hades might wear a smoldering wreath of cypress if one wishes to recharacterize the Greek hades closer to fiery underworld depictions. Sylvanus may wear a laurel of cypress that burns his brown in penance for the killing of Cyparissus's stag friend.
  • Due to cypress's non-disturbance of the dead via its roots, it might be the preferred medium or reagent for a sacralized form of necromantic divination, such as one conducted by a front-facing, publicly recognized temple. The non-disturbance of the dead via the roots suggests deference and respect, so such a ritual would entail a formalized, respectful, culturally-sanctioned engagement with the wisdom of the deceased. This might be useful when a king is consulting the spirits of his ancestors when facing an intractable problem, or perhaps an annual augury.
  • The non-disturbing quality of the roots might make cypress a good tree for sealing a contentious spirit so that the spirit does not disturb the soil about his place of imprisonment.
  • The sealing of Vulkan in Mount Etna under a cypress suggests the spirit of industrious inventiveness is dangerous and must be controlled to prevent catastrophe. Cypress may then act as a regulating wood for the dangerously inventive spirit. Perhaps a clever but foolish young magician who has precipitated disaster with his brilliant but short-sighted magical cunning may be gifted a staff or wand of cypress to mitigate his foolish tendencies? There's a lot that can be done with this.

Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Cupressus sempervirens fastigiate cultivated form in Hawaii, USGS photo.

Africa, Northern

  • Arabic: Serwi

Asia, Southeast

  • Indonesian: Siprés Mediterania
  • Malay: Pokok Sipres Mediterranean
  • Vietnamese: Hoàng Đàn

Asia, West

  • Persian: Sarv-e Shirazi
  • Turkish: Akdeniz Servisi, Selvi, Servi Ağacı

Europe, Central

  • German: Mediterrane Zypresse, Mittelmeer-Zypresse

Europe, Eastern

  • Latvian: Viecīgais Cipresis

Europe, Southern

  • Greek: Chiparos, Kyparissi
  • Italian: Cipresso Comune, Cipresso Mediterraneo, Sempreverde
  • Maltese: Sibres
  • Spanish: Ciprés Común, Ciprés Mediterráneo

Europe, Western

  • English: Mediterranean Cypress, Black Cypress, Churchyard Cypress, Common Cypress, European Cypress, Italian Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress, Pencil Pine, Persian Cypress, Roman Cypress, Southern Cypress, Tuscan Cypress
  • French: Cyprès De Provence, Cyprès Toujours Vert
  • Asia, West: Cyprus, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey
  • Europe, Southern: Greece (including Crete)

Mediterranean cypress is a long-lived, medium-sized tree that grows to 35m (115ft) tall. The oldest known specimen found in Iran is the Sarv-e-Abarkooh ("Cypress of Abarkuh") or "the Zoroastrian Sarv," estimated to be 4,000 years old. This specimen is 25m (82ft) in height, with a trunk circumference of 11.5m (38ft).

Wood Properties: Durable, Fragrant, Fumigant.

Cypress of Abarkuh, Own work, TruthBeethoven.

Funerary
Principle cemetery tree of Europe and the Muslim world.

Landscaping
Played a central role in all the famous historical gardens of Persia.

Most cultivated cypresses are selected with a fastigiate (upward-pointing/tapering) crown and erect branches, looking something like an exclamation mark or, as Skinner relayed as an observation of the orient, a flame. This shape is heavily associated with the Mediterranean aesthetic, especially in Tuscany.

Temple Portals
The wood was used for the doors of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome.

The doors of St. Peter's Basilica.

Distilling
Cypress staves were used to hold mash ferments before being replaced with stainless steel.

Cosmetics
Used for its fragrance, as well as its astringent and firming qualities.

Instruments
Traditional wood of Italian harpsichords.

We are not a medical website; do not take health advice from us.

This plant has been attributed the following medicinal properties:

  • Anti-seborrheic (treats skin issues)
  • Anti-dandruff
  • Anti-aging
  • Something could be made of the purported medical properties and the tree's symbolic associations.
  • An ancient cypress that is the object of veneration would make an excellent landmark in any fantasy setting.

Moroccan Cypress (Cupressus atlantica)

Cupressus atlantica, Own work, MPF.

Africa, Northern

  • Arabic: Arar, Sarw Al Atlas, Serw Al Atlas
  • Berber: Aaders, Idil

Europe, Central

  • German: Zypresse des Atlas

Europe, Western

  • English: Moroccan Cypress, Atlas Cedar, Atlas Cypress, Goa Cedar, Goa Cypress, Moroccan Cypress
  • French: Cyprès De L'Atlas
  • Africa, Northern: Morocco (High Atlas Mountains)

Moroccan cypress leaves are bluer than Cupressus sempervirens (Mediterranean cypress), with a white resin spot on each leaf.

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Bhutan Cypress (Cupressus cashmeriana)

Cupressus cashmeriana, Sochi, Russia. Own work, Materialscientist.

Asia, East

  • Bhutanese: Tshenden
  • Dzongkha: Bsam-Lding, Khangma, Tsenden
  • Tibetan: Shukpa, Shulim

Asia, South

  • Hindi/Urdu: Deodar
  • Sanskrit: Devadāru

Europe, Western

  • English: Bhutan Cypress, Bhutanese Weeping Cypress, Cashmere Cypress, Himalayan Cypress, Kashmir Cypress, Weeping Cypress, Weeping Himalayan Cypress
  • French: Cypress Du Bhoutan
  • Asia, South: India (East Himalaya)

Bhutan cypress is a medium-sized to large tree growing 20-45m (66-148ft) tall, with a trunk growing up to 3m (10ft) in diameter. Unverified claims of some trees reaching 95m (312ft) in height.

The national tree of Bhutan is widely planted around Buddhist Vihāra* monasteries and temples.

  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • Explore Vihāra monasteries for visual inspiration, such as Cave 12 at Ellora and the Ajanta caves. Some Vihāras were not monasteries, but rest stops for travelers, including pilgrims, hunters, and hobbyists.
  • Particularly large weeping cypresses would make great points of reference for travelers, as the rule of thumb would be that such usually indicated the presence of a Vihara.
  • As a "weeping" cypress, someone employing more Western iconographic sensibilities might impose a narrow mourning/funerary meaning on this plant.

Chinese Cypress (Cupressus duclouxiana)

Cupressus duclouxiana, from naturix-seeds.com.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Pin-Cha, Xizhang Bai
  • Mandarin: Gao Shan Bai, Huashan Bai, Tibet Bai, Xiangya Bai, Yunnan Bai
  • Tibetan: Dingri Shing

Asia, West

  • Turkish: Ducloux Servisi, Yunnan Servisi

Europe, Western

  • English: Chinese Cypress, Bhutan Weeping Cypress, Ducloux Cypress, Tibetan Cypress, Weeping Cypress, Yunnan Cypress
  • Asia, East: China (China South-Central)
  • Asia, Central: Tibet
  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • As a "weeping" cypress, someone employing more Western iconographic sensibilities might impose a narrow mourning/funerary meaning on this plant.

Saharan Cypress (Cupressus dupreziana)

Cupressus dupreziana, treatenedconifers.rbge.org.uk.

Africa, Northern

  • Arabic/Tamahaq: Tarout
  • Berber: Idil
  • Tamahaq/Tuareg: Awal, Taza

Europe, Central

  • German: Zypresse von Tassili

Europe, Western

  • English: Saharan Cypress, Algerian Cypress, Desert Cypress, Tassili Cypress
  • French: Cyprès De Duprez, Cyprès Du Tassili
  • Africa, Northern: Algeria (Tassili n'ajjer mountains in the central Sahara, southeast Algeria)

Saharan cypress is a rare tree from a unique population isolated in the Sahara Desert. The tallest of the remaining trees is 22m (72ft) tall; the majority are believed to be over 2000 years old. Foliage is bluer than Cupressus sempervirens, with a white resin spot on each leaf.

This cypress is unique in the family in its reproductive strategy, in which the genetic material of the seeds comes entirely from the pollen (male apomixis).

Cupressus dupreziana, Gruban at Flickr.

Named from the Tamashek word "tarout," which was a butcher's term for the windpipe and lungs of a grazing animal, to which the observers thought the tree resembled.

Only 233 trees of this species are left, and each of them is named individually in Tamashek, with titles like "The One by the Flat Stones." The largest is named Tin-Balalan and is 22m (72ft) tall and 1.26m (4.1ft) in diameter.

They are still used as shelter by local nomads, and the trees are subject to damage from the nomads' herd animals. Branches and roots are still occasionally (illegally) used for firewood.

Some of these trees have been cultivated in southern Europe from seeds and grown as ornamentals/ex-situ genetic conservation.

A tree in habitat iNaturalist observation 7367127 [András Zboray, 2011.11.23]
  • Retained for name, color, and unique distribution.
  • Under the doctrine of signatures, wood, bark, or other plant material would be suitable for respiratory health if consumed or inhaled as aroma. The age of these trees might also be passed on sympathetically in this way.
  • Excellent inspiration for a cypress grove, where each tree is named and attributed to an individual animus.

Tibetan Cypress (Cupressus majestica) (syn. Cupressus gigantea)

Cupressus gigantea, Paco Garin.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Xizhang Bai
  • Dzongkha/Tibetan: Tsenden
  • Mandarin: Gao Shan Bai, Xiangya Bai
  • Tibetan: Krung, Shukpa

Asia, South

  • Nepali: Bhote Dhupi

Europe, Western

  • English: Tibetan Cypress, Bhairopokhari Cypress, Bhutan Cypress, Bhutanese Weeping Cypress, Giant Asian Cypress, Giant Cypress, Himalayan Cypress, Himalayan Giant Cypress, Majestic Cypress, Tibetan Giant Cypress, Weeping Cypress
  • Asia, East: China (China South-Central)
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

The largest Cupressus gigantea is an ancient ~2,600-year-old specimen called the King Cypress, the Great Cypress, Bóshù wáng, and "the God of Trees." It is 50m (164ft) high and 5.8m (19ft) in diameter.

Bóshù wáng, Own work, Kosi Gramatikoff.
  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • An absolutely massive, ancient cypress tree is a useful landmark in any fantasy story.
  • If one takes "the God of Trees" title seriously, one could build a whole religious framework around such an ancient tree. While this lends itself to a temple and all the associated fixings, it, more importantly, provides the society around it with a tangible axis mundi. Characters native to this region might orient their position relative to the tree. This might cause clashes with a more secular authority, such as an Imperial governor, who, for soft-power reasons, needs the people to orient themselves to his seat of power in the provincial capital.

Chinese Weeping Cypress (Cupressus pendula; syn. Cupressus funebris)

Cupressus funebris, Own work, Melburnian.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Po
  • Japanese: Hiba
  • Mandarin: Bai Mu
  • Vietnamese/Japanese: Saru

Asia, Southeast

  • Burmese: Pye-Sa-Chin

Europe, Central

  • German: Hänge-Zypresse, Hängezypresse, Trauer-Zypresse

Europe, Western

  • English: Chinese Weeping Cypress, Bhutan Weeping Cypress, Chinese Mourning Cypress, Chinese Weeping Cypress, Funeral Cypress, Mourning Cypress, Sad Cypress, Weeping Chinese Cypress, Weeping Cypress
  • French: Cyprès Funèbre, Cyprès Pleureur
  • Asia, East: China (China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast)

Chinese weeping cypress is a medium-sized tree, growing 20-35m (66-115ft) tall, with the trunk growing up to 2m (6.5ft) in diameter.

Commonly planted around monasteries and temples.

  • Retained for name and distribution.

Himalayan Cypress (Cupressus torulosa)

Cupressus torulosa, Photo by Owen Johnson.

Asia, East

  • Chinese: Shujin Bai
  • Tibetan: Shukpa, Tsandan

Asia, South

  • Hindi: Devi Diyar, Thuja
  • Hindi/Urdu: Deodar
  • Kashmiri: Kletha
  • Nepali: Galla, Raisalla, Saro, Telaun
  • Nepali/Hindi: Surai
  • Sanskrit: Devadāru

Europe, Central

  • German: Kleiner Himalaja-Zypresse

Europe, Western

  • English: Himalayan Cypress, Bhutan Cypress, Deodar Cypress, Himalayan Cypress, Himalayan Twisted Cypress, Kashmiri Cypress, Nepalese Cypress, Tortuous Cypress, Twisted Cypress
  • French: Cyprès De L'Himalaya
  • Asia, South: Nepal, Pakistan
  • Asia, Central: Tibet

Himalayan cypress is a medium to extremely large tree, often growing up to 45m (150ft) in height. Possibly the second-tallest tree species in the world if the 102.3m (336ft) specimen found is Cupressus torulosa instead of Cupressus gigantea (as some have claimed).

  • Retained for name and distribution.
  • The size of these trees is absurd, do something with that in relation to the immortality iconography.

* * * * * * *

Prestigious Plants

Other Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms

-Drury, N. (2004). The dictionary of the esoteric: 3000 entries on the mystical and occult traditions. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.

-Drury, N. (2005). The Watkins Dictionary of Magic: 3000 entries on the magical traditions. Watkins.

-Greenaway, Kate. Language of Flowers. George Routleage and Sons.

-Roux, Jessica. Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2020.

-Skinner, Charles M. "Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits, and Plants : In All Ages and in All Climes : Skinner, Charles M. (Charles Montgomery), 1852-1907 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." Internet Archive, Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott Co., 1 Jan. 1970, https://archive.org/details/mythslegendsoffl00skin.

-Tresidder, J. (2008). The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols. Watkins.

( https://powo.science.kew.org/ )
( https://www.secretflowerlanguage.com/ ) — Defunct
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_sempervirens )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_atlantica )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_cashmeriana )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_duclouxiana )
( https://www.conifers.org/cu/Cupressus_dupreziana.php )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_dupreziana )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_funebris )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_gigantea )
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_torulosa )

Name assistance provided by Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Prestigious Plants - Ranunculaceae 10 - Love in a Mist

Plant Indices Alphabetical   Index  (Genera) Alphabetical   Index  (Vernacular) Cladistic Index LOVE-IN-A-MIST ( Nige...