These tough evergreen shrubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit almost any landscape.
When deciding what to plant, consider the throw in of juniper foliage that will work for your situation.
Since some juniper shrubs grow up to 15 feet tall and even wider, give them lots of room.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Avoid planting large types close to a house or other structure where they could cause damage as they grow.
Smalljuniper ground coversare useful for protecting hilly or sloping yards from erosion.
For hedging, borders, or privacy, choose larger types that grow tall and wide.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Junipers tolerate winter salt spray, so they work well alongside roads and sidewalks.
Amend the soil in the planting area with compost if it doesn’t drain well.
Set the plant in the hole.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The soil line on the plant should be level with the surrounding soil.
Backfill the hole, pressing down on the soil to remove air pockets.
Water the shrub deeply.
Credit: Carol Freeman
When planting several shrubs, leave plenty of room for air circulation between each shrub to prevent diseases.
Light
Juniper needs full sun for the best growth.
Shady spots tend to result in loose, open growth, which reduces the plant’s appeal.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Coloring on many of the blue/silver varieties may also be less vibrant in part shade.
Soil should be slightly acidic and rich in organic nutrients.
After the plants are established, watering is seldom needed, except in drought conditions.
Credit: William N. Hopkins
Temperature and Humidity
There’s a juniper variety for just about any key in of environment.
Extreme cold can be damaging, but in most cases, juniper will tough it out through below-freezing temperatures.
When temperatures get above 90oF, junipers may need extra watering.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Fertilizer
With the right soil and sunlight, junipers shouldn’t need fertilizer.
Pruning
Junipers require little maintenance, justminor trimming and shaping.
If you’re training a juniper into a formal shape, select a variety amenable to regular pruning.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Groundcover types are generally not a good choice for that and should be minimally pruned, if at all.
Potting and Repotting Juniper
Smaller junipers are good candidates for potting.
Remove the infected branches and use a fungicide to treat diseased plants.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It’s recommended that junipers be sprayed a few times a year with an anti-fungal product to prevent infection.
How to Propagate Juniper
Propagate juniper shrubs between mid autumn and mid winter.
Take 6-inch cuttings from healthy plants and add to prepared pots, covering half of the cutting with soil.
Credit: Jay Wilde
The cuttings should be about 2 inches apart.
Add a little water to the pot and cover with a plastic bag with a few slits cut.
Add water only when the soil is dry.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
After the cuttings have rooted, transplant them into individual pots.
This drought-tolerant juniper is compact, growing 2 feet tall and 5 feet wide.
It grows 10-15 feet tall and, once established, is exceptionally drought tolerant.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
New shoots are bright gold.
It reaches 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Brilliant silver-blue foliage is the hallmark of this cultivar.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
In the coldest climates, its foliage becomes plum purple in winter.
It grows 8 inches tall and 5 feet wide.
Zones 4-9
Pfitzer Juniper
Juniperus pfitzerianais a wide, spreading shrub with scalelike leaves.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It grows 6 feet tall and 12 feet wide.
Zones 4-9
‘Maney’ Chinese Juniper
Juniperus chinensis’Maney' is a low-growing shrub with gray foliage.
It grows 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Evergreen shrubs in silver-blue and bright chartreuse-gold keep thecolor schemegoing year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, in fact, juniper is one of the most flammable shrubs.
Its branches and leaves burn quickly, and juniper sap quickly burns as well.
Plant them among more fire-resistant plants and away from buildings.
The berries of common juniper (juniperus communis)are used in making gin.
