Juniperus bermudiana
Encyclopedia
Juniperus bermudiana is a species of juniper
endemic
to Bermuda
. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar although, like most "cedars"
it is not a true cedar (Cedrus, family Pinaceae
); a more botanically accurate name would be Bermuda juniper, but this term is extremely rare.
It is an evergreen
tree
growing up to 15 m tall with a trunk up to 60 cm thick (larger specimens existed in the past) and thin bark that exfoliates in strips. The foliage is produced in blue-green sprays, with the individual shoots 1.3–1.6 mm wide, four sided (quadriform) in section. The leaves
are scale-like 1.5–2.5 mm long (up to 4 mm long on strong-growing shoots) and 1-1.5 mm broad, with an inconspicuous gland; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs, occasionally decussate whorls of three. Juvenile plants bear needle-like leaves 4–8 mm long. The seed cones
are irregularly globose to broad pyriform, 4–6 mm long and 5–8 mm broad, soft and berry
-like, green at first, maturing bluish-purple about 8 months after pollination; they contain one or two (rarely three) seed
s. The male cones are 4–6 mm long, yellow, turning brown after pollen release in early spring.
A threat to the continued existence of Bermuda's junipers arose in the mid-1940s when the species was attacked by two species of scale insect
s, Lepidosaphes newsteadi and Carulaspis minima, which were unintentionally introduced from the United States' mainland. By 1978, these predators had killed 99% of Bermuda's junipers, some 8 million trees. However, the remaining 1% of the trees proved somewhat resistant to the scale insects, and efforts by Bermuda's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks to plant young junipers from this resistant strain throughout Bermuda have saved the trees from extinction.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Casuarina
(Casuarina equisetifolia, also known as Horsetail Tree and Australian Pine), native to Australia, was introduced into Bermuda to replace the Bermuda Cedar's windbreak functions. However in Bermuda, casuarinas have proved to be highly aggressive, and no other plants are able to survive beneath them. Still, like the Bermuda Cedar, the casuarina's foliage is resistant to wind and salt, and these features have made casuarinas popular with gardeners in Bermuda. Other species introduced in an attempt to replace the juniper forest included the Bay Grape
(Coccoloba uvifera). Along with the Casuarina, the juniper's main introduced competitor for space is the Brazilian pepper
(Schinus terebinthifolius).
The species is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree outside of Bermuda, and may have become naturalised
on Hawaii and Saint Helena
. It is reported that more than 6,500 of them were planted in Hawaii between 1921 and 1953, and that it has established wild populations there.
The Bermuda Cedar forests that covered Bermuda fed, and housed many species of bird that had evolved and adapted to live amongst them, and thus became endemic to Bermuda. With the loss of so many trees the populations of such species have plummeted to near extinction. These birds include the Bermuda White-eyed Vireo
, and a possible subspecies of Eastern Bluebird
. Efforts by the public and the government have been made to boost their populations along with the populations of the Bermuda Cedar. However the Bermuda Cedar may take 200 years to reach full maturity, and the birds may not survive this long. With recent sea level rises some low lying old-growth cedars are being infiltrated with seawater and are beginning to die off.
It is known for its heavy, sweet aroma, useful and attractive reddish timber, significant role in Bermuda's history, and notable presence in Bermuda's historic homes.
When English settlers arrived in Bermuda, forests of Bermuda cedar flourished throughout the islands, and the species continued to thrive even as settlers developed the land. The wood was utilized by settlers for widely varying purposes including home, church, jail, and shipbuilding, interior woodworking, furniture construction, coffin-making, and export for sale. In addition, the cones were used by settlers as food for both themselves and their animals, and to prepare cedarberry syrup as a treatment for toothaches and coughs. Settlers also boiled the shoots in water to create an elixir for lowering fevers. Furthermore, the wood was found to repel moths and fleas as well as prevent mildew and rot, so many Bermuda residents used the wood to line closets and drawers.
The wood was especially prized by shipbuilders. It could be worked as soon as it was felled, and was naturally resistant to rot and woodworms. It was as strong as oak, but much lighter, contributing to the speed and maneouverability for which Bermudian ships
were noted and prized. Its abundance enabled Bermudians to turn wholesale to a maritime economy after the dissolution of the Somers Isles Company
in 1684.
In 1627, in an effort to conserve Bermuda's juniper forests, the local assembly passed legislation to restrict export of Bermuda Cedar for shipbuilding. In addition, between 1693 and 1878, the Bermuda legislature passed sixteen further acts placing restrictions on the uses of Bermuda Cedar. Despite these Acts, the shipbuilding industry eventually denuded much of Bermuda's landscape by the 1830s. Only the dawn of the age of steam-driven, steel-hulled ships allowed the forest to recover.
Many historic homes in Bermuda feature interior woodwork and furnishings made from Bermuda cedar. Examples of these homes include the Mayflower House, Camden House, Tucker House
, and Verdmont House, the latter of which, according to the Bermuda National Trust
, contains the colony's finest collection of antique Bermuda cedar furnishings. Because it is now both scarce, and expensive, and it is featured in many grand homes, its scent has come to be associated with wealth.
The Bermuda hedge fund
Juniperus Capital
is named after the Juniperus bermudiana.
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar although, like most "cedars"
Cedar (disambiguation)
Cedar may refer to:* Cedar wood, wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses-Pinaceae family:*Cedrus or cedar, a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae...
it is not a true cedar (Cedrus, family Pinaceae
Pinaceae
Pinaceae are trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, formerly known as Coniferales. Pinaceae are supported as monophyletic by its protein-type sieve...
); a more botanically accurate name would be Bermuda juniper, but this term is extremely rare.
It is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
growing up to 15 m tall with a trunk up to 60 cm thick (larger specimens existed in the past) and thin bark that exfoliates in strips. The foliage is produced in blue-green sprays, with the individual shoots 1.3–1.6 mm wide, four sided (quadriform) in section. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are scale-like 1.5–2.5 mm long (up to 4 mm long on strong-growing shoots) and 1-1.5 mm broad, with an inconspicuous gland; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs, occasionally decussate whorls of three. Juvenile plants bear needle-like leaves 4–8 mm long. The seed cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are irregularly globose to broad pyriform, 4–6 mm long and 5–8 mm broad, soft and berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
-like, green at first, maturing bluish-purple about 8 months after pollination; they contain one or two (rarely three) seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. The male cones are 4–6 mm long, yellow, turning brown after pollen release in early spring.
Ecology
Scale insect
The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...
s, Lepidosaphes newsteadi and Carulaspis minima, which were unintentionally introduced from the United States' mainland. By 1978, these predators had killed 99% of Bermuda's junipers, some 8 million trees. However, the remaining 1% of the trees proved somewhat resistant to the scale insects, and efforts by Bermuda's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks to plant young junipers from this resistant strain throughout Bermuda have saved the trees from extinction.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
(Casuarina equisetifolia, also known as Horsetail Tree and Australian Pine), native to Australia, was introduced into Bermuda to replace the Bermuda Cedar's windbreak functions. However in Bermuda, casuarinas have proved to be highly aggressive, and no other plants are able to survive beneath them. Still, like the Bermuda Cedar, the casuarina's foliage is resistant to wind and salt, and these features have made casuarinas popular with gardeners in Bermuda. Other species introduced in an attempt to replace the juniper forest included the Bay Grape
Coccoloba uvifera
Coccoloba uvifera is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, Barbados and Bermuda...
(Coccoloba uvifera). Along with the Casuarina, the juniper's main introduced competitor for space is the Brazilian pepper
Brazilian pepper
Schinus terebinthifolius is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America...
(Schinus terebinthifolius).
The species is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree outside of Bermuda, and may have become naturalised
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
on Hawaii and Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
. It is reported that more than 6,500 of them were planted in Hawaii between 1921 and 1953, and that it has established wild populations there.
The Bermuda Cedar forests that covered Bermuda fed, and housed many species of bird that had evolved and adapted to live amongst them, and thus became endemic to Bermuda. With the loss of so many trees the populations of such species have plummeted to near extinction. These birds include the Bermuda White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
The White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus, is a small songbird. It breeds in the southeastern USA from New Jersey west to northern Missouri and south to Texas and Florida, and also in eastern Mexico, northern Central America, Cuba and the Bahamas....
, and a possible subspecies of Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebird
The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York....
. Efforts by the public and the government have been made to boost their populations along with the populations of the Bermuda Cedar. However the Bermuda Cedar may take 200 years to reach full maturity, and the birds may not survive this long. With recent sea level rises some low lying old-growth cedars are being infiltrated with seawater and are beginning to die off.
Uses and history
When English settlers arrived in Bermuda, forests of Bermuda cedar flourished throughout the islands, and the species continued to thrive even as settlers developed the land. The wood was utilized by settlers for widely varying purposes including home, church, jail, and shipbuilding, interior woodworking, furniture construction, coffin-making, and export for sale. In addition, the cones were used by settlers as food for both themselves and their animals, and to prepare cedarberry syrup as a treatment for toothaches and coughs. Settlers also boiled the shoots in water to create an elixir for lowering fevers. Furthermore, the wood was found to repel moths and fleas as well as prevent mildew and rot, so many Bermuda residents used the wood to line closets and drawers.
Bermuda sloop
The Bermuda sloop is a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel developed on the islands of Bermuda in the 17th century. In its purest form, it is single-masted, although ships with such rigging were built with as many as three masts, which are then referred to as schooners...
were noted and prized. Its abundance enabled Bermudians to turn wholesale to a maritime economy after the dissolution of the Somers Isles Company
Somers Isles Company
The Somers Isles Company was formed in 1615 to operate the English colony of the Somers Isles, also known as Bermuda, as a commercial venture. It held a royal charter for Bermuda until 1684, when it was dissolved, and the Crown assumed responsibility for the administration of Bermuda as a royal...
in 1684.
In 1627, in an effort to conserve Bermuda's juniper forests, the local assembly passed legislation to restrict export of Bermuda Cedar for shipbuilding. In addition, between 1693 and 1878, the Bermuda legislature passed sixteen further acts placing restrictions on the uses of Bermuda Cedar. Despite these Acts, the shipbuilding industry eventually denuded much of Bermuda's landscape by the 1830s. Only the dawn of the age of steam-driven, steel-hulled ships allowed the forest to recover.
Many historic homes in Bermuda feature interior woodwork and furnishings made from Bermuda cedar. Examples of these homes include the Mayflower House, Camden House, Tucker House
Tucker House
The Tucker House is located in Martinez, California. Originally located at 40 Escobar Street, this luxurious 4 story, 4 bedroom, 2 bath mansion was built for Capt. Tucker's family, a sea captain turned successful wheat grower. Captain John Tucker was a sea captain from Nantucket, Mass., who settled...
, and Verdmont House, the latter of which, according to the Bermuda National Trust
Bermuda National Trust
The Bermuda National Trust is an organisation which works to preserve and protect the heritage of Bermuda.According to its website:"The Bermuda National Trust is a charity, established in 1970 to preserve natural, architectural and historic treasures and to encourage public appreciation of them...
, contains the colony's finest collection of antique Bermuda cedar furnishings. Because it is now both scarce, and expensive, and it is featured in many grand homes, its scent has come to be associated with wealth.
The Bermuda hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
Juniperus Capital
Juniperus Capital
Juniperus Capital Limited is a Bermuda-based hedge fund. It was incorporated in Bermuda on April 11, 2008. The investment management company became operational in May 2008....
is named after the Juniperus bermudiana.
External links
- Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: The Bermuda Cedar. GORDON GROVES, Director of Agriculture, Bermuda.
- Bermuda Government, Department of Conservation Services Species Profile – Bermuda Cedar.