Juniperus Rigida, the Needle Juniper, is a very popular species for bonsai. His name alludes to the sharp needles that can make it difficult to work with the plant. Juniperus Rigida is also known as the Temple Juniper because it is often found planted in the garden landscapes of Japanese temples. Native to Japan, Korea and Manchuria, this stiff-needled Juniper may reach a height of 10 meters in the wild. The bark is thin and scaly, red-brown, later gray and furrowed on old trees. The branchlets are slender, triangular, red-brown, with scattered spreading leaves. The branchlets are drooping and give the plant a graceful appearance. As the name suggests Juniperus Rigida has sharply pointed needle foliage. Evergreen tree with needle-like leaves, in whorls of 3, rigid, sharply pointed and prickly, with a V-shaped cross-section, 25-28 mm long, about 1 mm wide, deep green on lower surface with a narrow white stomatal band above. The flowers are dioecious, individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant, so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Pollinated by Wind. Female plants will bear black fruits, 6-10 mm across. The seeds ripen in October. Hardiness zones 5-7, (-26øC/-15øF, -15øC/5øF) in Winter. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil.