Juniperus recurva aka Drooping Juniper

Juniperus recurva is part of the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The RHS gives it three common names. These are Himalayan weeping juniper, drooping juniper, and incense juniper. It grows as a shrub or tree in temperate regions. Its native range spans the Himalayas and southwestern China. Kew lists sites in southwestern Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan. Plants For A Future lists more places in its range. These include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and northern Myanmar. It grows in wetter mountain areas of the Himalayas. Records reach as high as 15,092 feet (4,600 metres). It grows in forests and thickets in southeastern Tibet and northwestern Yunnan. Those sites range from 5,906 to 12,795 feet (1,800–3,900 metres).

Plants For A Future lists it for the woodland garden canopy. This means the upper layer of a woodland garden. That use fits its tree or shrub form. The supplied sources give no firm garden height or spread for this species. Nor do they describe its bark or leaves in detail. Its edible parts are cones, though the food entry calls them fruit. They reach about 0.036 feet (0.011 metres) in length. They reach about 0.026 feet (0.008 metres) in width. The supplied species sources give no colour or season for them.

Plants For A Future says people eat the cones raw or cooked. It rates food use at one out of five. It reports no known hazards, yet also warns about smoke. Smoke from green wood can cause vomiting that lasts a long time. The source reports this as a medicinal use. That does not mean it is safe as a home remedy. People also burn the wood, leaves, and resin-rich twigs as incense. The leaves hold about 1.7 percent essential oil. The source rates medicinal and other uses at one out of five each.

Seeds can take a long time to grow. Their hard coats can delay sprouting for more than one season. Plants For A Future says to sow ripe seed in a cold frame. Some seeds may sprout the next spring. Most may need one more year. The source also describes a cold, then warm, then cold treatment. Each stage lasts two to three months. A further option uses seed gathered before its coat turns hard. Pot up seedlings once they are large enough to handle. Plants For A Future does not flag this species as a weed.