Juniperus

( joo - NIP - er - us )

At-A-Glance Information

More commonly called Juniper, Juniperus is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees that need full sun or partial shade and little to no water (for most species). They can take many forms, including groundcovers, weeping shrubs, upright specimens, columns, and trees. They are part of the Conifer family, but produce inedible berries instead of cones. Leaf colors vary widely depending on the species. Take care when planting these in the landscape, as berries, needles, and stems contain toxins that have the potential to harm humans and pets if ingested in large quantities.

Juniperus Species and Varietals

The genus Juniperus includes between 50 and 67 species and is a member of the plant family Cupressaceae. The best growing zones for Junipers vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map). For ease of reference, this species list is divided into form categories: groundcovers, shrubs, and trees.
Groundcover Junipers
These plants range from a few inches to a few feet tall, and are spreaders. It is important to mulch around these plants to help keep soil cool and suppress weeds.
Juniperus chinensis 'Parsonii'
Zones 1-24; To 1.5 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Slow-grower; blue green leaves mature to dark green.
Juniperus chinensis 
​​'San Jose'
Zones 1-24; To 2 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Slow-growing, heavily trunked. Needle and scale foliage.
Juniperus chinensis sargentii
Zones A2, A3, 1-24; To 2.5 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Feathery grey-green foliage. Good for bonsai.
Juniperus chinensis sargentii ​'Saybrook Gold'
Zones 1-24, 3 feet tall, 6 feet wide. Rich, yellow foliage.
Juniperus chinensis sargentii 'Viridis'
Zones 1-24, 2 feet tall, 10 feet wide. Bright green foliage.
Juniperus communis
​'Alpine Carpet'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 8 inches tall, 4 feet wide. Deep blue green foliage; slow grower.
Juniperus horizontalis
​'Blue Chip'
Zones A1-A3, 1-24. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Silvery-blue foliage.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Hughes'
Zones A1-A3, 1-24. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Silvery-blue foliage.
Juniperus horizontalis
​'Icee Blue'
Zones 1-24, 4 inches tall, 8 feet wide. Dense, silver-blue foliage.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'
Zones 1-24; 4 inches tall, 10 feet wide. Yellow foliage; bronze in winter.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Plumosa'
Zones 1-24, 1.5 feet tall, 10 feet wide. Feathery grey foliage, plum in winter.
Juniperus horizontalis
​'Prince of Wales'
Zones A1-A3, 1-24. 8 inches tall, 10 feet wide. Green foliage turns purple in fall.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' ('Blue Rug')
Zones A1-A3, 1-24. 6 inches tall, 8 feet wide. Flat, trailing with silver-blue foliage.
Juniperus horizontalis 'Youngstown'
Zones 1-24. 1 foot tall, 6 feet wide. Flat, with feathery gray-green foliage.
Juniperus procumbens
Zones 1-24. 2.5 feet tall, 12 feet wide. Feathery, blue-green foliage, spreading.
Juniperus procumbens 'Green Mound'
Zones 1-24. 8 inches tall, 6 feet wide. Mounding, trailing habit, Light green foliage.
Juniperus rigida conferta
​(Shore Juniper)
Zones 3-9, 14-24, H1, H2. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Trailing, blue-green.
Juniperus rigida conferta
​'Blue Pacific'
Zones 3-9, 14-24. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Blue green foliage. Dense habit.
Junipera sabina 'Arcadia'
Zones 1-24, 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Lacy bright green foliage.
Junipera sabina 
​'Broadmoor'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 3 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Dense, mounding. Soft bright green foliage.
Junipera sabina 'Buffalo'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Soft, feathery bright green foliage. 
Junipera sabina 'Skandia'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 1 foot tall, 8 feet wide. Dense, bright green foliage.
Junipera sabina 'Tamariscifolia'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 2.5 feet tall, 10 feet wide. Dense blue foliage.
Juniperus scopularum
​'Blue Creeper'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 2 feet tall, 8 feet wide. Mounding habit; bright blue-green foliage.
Shrub Junipers
Can be low or tall shrubs, and shapes vary from mounding, spreading, twisting, and spire. Check out a selection of shrub-type Junipers below.
Juniperus chinensis
​'Gold Lace'
Zones 1-24, 4 feet tall, 6 feet wide. Green foliage with gold tips. Spreading.
Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka'
Zones 1-24, H1, H2. Also has a variegated version. 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Twisted appearance.
Juniperus chinensis
​'Mint Julep'
Zones 1-24. 6 feet tall, 8 feet wide. Vase-shaped with arching branches; mint green.
Juniperus x pfitzeriana 'Armstrongii'
Zones 1-24. 5 feet tall and wide. Medium green foliage. Upright shrub.
Juniperus x pfitzeriana  'Aurea'
Zones 1-24, H1, H2. 5 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Blue-grey foliage, with gold new growth.
Juniperus x pfitzeriana  'Glauca'
Zones 1-24, H1, H2. 6 feet tall, 8 feet wide. Arching branches, silver-blue foliage.
Juniperus x pfitxeriana  'Daub's Frosted'
Zones 1-24. 3 feet tall, 6 feet wide. Yellow new growth matures to blue-green. Mounding.
Juniperus rigida 'Pendula'
Zones 3b-24. 20 feet tall, 30 feet wide. Upright main stem with horizontal branching. Fast grower, green foliage.
Juniperus scopulorum 'Table Top Blue'
Zones 1-24. 5 feet tall, 12 feet wide. Gray, flat-topped plant.
Juniperus squamanta
​'Blue Star'
Zones 1-24. 3 feet tall, 4 feet wide. Uniform branching and silver-blue foliage.
Juniperus squamanta 'Chinese Silver'
Zones 1-24. 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Silver-blue foliage on cascading branches.
Juniperus squamanta 'Holger'
Zone 1-24. 6 feet tall and wide. Dense, with yellow-tipped new growth.
Columnar Junipers
Somewhere between an upright shrub and a tree, these juniper species are shaped like columns. The columnar varieties are great for accents, windbreaks, screening plants, along walkways and buildings, and to add height to landscapes. 
Juniperus chinensis
​'Blue Point'
Zones 1-24, 12 feet tall, 8 feet wide. Dense, blue-green cone. 
Juniperus chinensis 'Robusta Green'
Zones 1-24. 16 feet tall, 5 feet wide. Brilliant green foliage in a dense column.
Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan'
Zones 1-24. 15 feet tall, 5 feet wide. Dense rich green column.
Juniperus communis 'Compressa'
Zones A1-A3, 1-24. 2 feet tall, and just 6 inches wide. Dwarf column for rock gardens. 
Juniperus pingii wilsonii
Zones A3, 2a-24. 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Conical, with green silvery foliage. 
Juniperus scopularum 'Cologreen'
Zones 1-24. 15 feet tall, 7 feet wide. Narrow, bright green columnar shrub.
Juniperus scopularum  'Moonglow'
Zones 1-24. 9 feet tall, 5 feet wide. Dense, pyramidal growth.
Juniperus scopularum 'Skyrocket'
Zones A2, A3, 1-24. 20 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Very narrow, grey-green spire.
Juniperus virginiana 'Blue Arrow'
Best in zones A2, A3 and 1-24, this variety reaches 15 feet tall and 2 feet wide, with blue-green foliage.
Tree Junipers
Picturesque specimens that serve well as screens or windbreaks (especially in cold-winter areas). Height and form vary depending on growing conditions.
Juniperus californica
(California Juniper)
Native to California and the Southwest; desert Juniper with yellow to green foliage. Zones 3, 6-12, 14-24. To 10-40 feet tall and just as wide.
Juniperus cedrus
(Canary Islands Juniper)
This species is best in zones 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 14-22. To 30 feet tall and 18 feet wide. Foliage is soft and branches are weeping.
Juniperus occidentalis
(Western Juniper)
Zones 1-10, 14, and 18-21. Long-lived species with fragrant green foliage. Native to central Washington down through southern California. To 50-60 feet tall ad 30-50 feet wide.
Juniperus scopulorum 'Tolleson's Blue Weeping' ('Repandens')
Zones 1-24, this species reaches 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, with blue-green foliage on drooping branchlets.
Juniperus virginiana
​(Eastern Red Cedar)
Zones A3 and 1-24; native to eastern North America. Dark green tree with conical shape; foliage reddens in cooler weather. To 40-50 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide.

Caring for and pruning Juniperus shrubs

Juniperus is considered an easy-care genus of shrubs and trees. Although Junipers are tolerant of many types of soil, they do prefer a slightly acidic pH (between 5.5 and 7.0). Ensure that the area gets good drainage and that roots will not be sitting in any standing water. These shrubs do not need any supplemental fertilizer and once they are established, do not need supplemental water either. New shrubs should be watered once every week or two. 

These plants need little pruning; their natural form is picturesque and striking. In early spring, trim away dead or damaged areas and lightly shape as needed. Prune young plants more frequently to keep them healthy and to form an attractive habit. If a shrub becomes overgrown, it is difficult to carry out hard prunings and rejuvenations; older wood will not grow back at the center of the plant, and cutting back will result in a bald spot in the middle of the plant. Cutting any branches past their live growth can result in bare patches, as well.

Propagation

Juniperus is best propagated by using cuttings. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Juniper shrub or tree, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Juniperus by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In late summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Problems and Pests

Common problems that affect Juniper shrubs and trees include:
  • Spider Mites
  • Aphids
  • Bagworms
  • Scale Insects
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Gallery

Groundcover varieties are wonderful for fronting shrub borders.
Planting differently-colored Juniper shrubs together can create a shrubbery with a lot of depth and color.
Plant conical types in rows as informal hedges or screens.

Videos

How to prune Juniper.
How to use groundcover-type Juniper shrubs.

Resources

Juniper: How to Plant, Prune and Harvest
How to Grow and Care for Juniper Shrubs and Tree
Juniperus communis
Wikipedia: Juniper
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 386 - 389, Juniperus
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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