Over the period when I was working on our book "Flowers of Crete" I came across this juniper a few times. It was always restricted to coastal habitats where I also saw it years before on Cos. I have grown it from seed a few times and without exception it has always proved hardy despite it's frost free origins. Ironically it's close relative J. oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus on Crete is only found at altitude where it experiences severe winters.
Here is a plant of the subsp. macrocarpa growing at Kew by the Mediterrranean garden which is quite a few years old now and has coped with some really cold spells. It has a surprisingly almost fastigiate habit which is not typical of any plants I have seen in the wild.
