Juniper (Juniperus communis) is one of only three native conifers in Britain. A member of the cypress family, it has short, spiky leaves and distinctive blue-black berries. Once a common plant, it was traditionally used in medicines and to flavour food and drink, perhaps most famously gin. However, it has become increasingly rare, and is thought to have suffered a 70% decline in numbers in the UK since the 1970s. Many of the surviving bushes are over a century old and their breeding success is limited by their age. They also suffer from over-grazing by livestock and rabbits, which can damage the plants and remove seedlings before they have a chance to establish. Conversely, under-grazing is also a significant threat, with changes in land-use resulting in scrub encroachment which can smother the juniper plants, slowly killing them.

In North Wales, J. communis is found at only three sites: two in Denbighshire at Prestatyn and Bryniau, and the other on the Great Orme. Chester Zoo is working with Denbighshire Countryside Services and Conwy County Council to undertake regeneration projects to protect the species. For the past 2 years, cuttings have been taken from existing plants on the Prestatyn hillside in preparation for reintroducing them. The site is home to some 20 bushes of J. communis, many of which are over 100 years old.

In 2006, Chester Zoo’s horticulturists took cuttings from the old plants and have successfully rooted and grown them in greenhouses at the Zoo. In 2 years the new plants, already 30 cm high, were ready to be replanted at the Prestatyn site. On 1 October 2008, the new young junipers were planted next to the older bushes.

Chester Zoo is renowned for its work on conservation of endangered species. Much of its most well-known work is with animals, but endangered and threatened species can just as easily be plants. Juniper is a prime example of a plant that is fast disappearing from our countryside, and there was no indication that any natural regeneration was taking place at the Prestatyn site. The remains of six dead juniper specimens at Prestatyn clearly showed that some action was urgently needed. The old plants were being choked by scrub growth, and any young plants occurring naturally from seed were damaged by grazing before they could establish

Using our horticultural skills, we have been able to reverse the declining fortune of this rare plant, in North Wales at least. The new plants will be closely monitored and their success recorded; habitat management by Denbighshire Council will ensure that scrub is not allowed to threaten them and seedlings will have a better chance of survival in future.

In 2007, cuttings were also taken from the few remaining plants on the Great Orme. The Zoo now has over 100 rooted cuttings in its nursery and is planning to plant a number of these back in the wild during the next 12 months.