Juniper

Juniperus chinensis (Chinese juniper), J. horizontalis (creeping juniper), J. virginiana (eastern red-cedar), J. x pfitzeriana and other garden junipers · Cypress family (Cupressaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	3 to 9
Sun	full sun
Water	low
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Hardy: takes frost
Soil pH	5.0–8.0

About Juniper

Junipers are tough evergreen conifers, from low groundcovers that spill over walls to upright shrubs and tall trees. They handle heat, drought, poor soil and salt better than most evergreens. Thirteen species are native to North America, including creeping juniper and eastern red-cedar, while Chinese juniper comes from East Asia (Clemson, NC State). Junipers are the alternate host of cedar-apple rust, so they matter to nearby apple trees.

Creeping juniper is hardy in zones 3-9 and Chinese juniper in zones 4-9 (NC State).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Water regularly until established; after that they need little extra water (Clemson). NC State suggests 6-12 ft between creeping junipers used as groundcover.

Soil

Any well-drained soil, including sandy, rocky or poor soil; avoid wet spots. Space plants for their mature size so air moves through and the foliage dries quickly, which cuts fungal blights (Clemson, NC State).

Junipers need well-drained soil but little feeding; test the soil first (Clemson).

Feeding

Water is what new shrubs need most: daily for the first 2 weeks, every 2-3 days through week 12, then weekly until the roots spread (at least two growing seasons), using about a quarter to a third of the nursery pot's volume each time (UMN). Once established, junipers need minimal extra fertilizer or water, and they need well-drained soil (Clemson).

Varieties (17)

Variety	Type	Notes
Blue Point	Chinese juniper	Blue-green teardrop pyramid about 12 ft tall.
Gold Coast	Chinese juniper	Compact, yellow-gold, drought tolerant.
Kaizuka	Chinese juniper	Twisted, sculptural branches; 20 ft or more.
Sea Green	Chinese juniper	Upright with arching branches.
Spartan	Chinese juniper	Dense column 15-20 ft tall and about 5 ft wide.
Sargent's juniper (var. sargentii)	Chinese juniper (J. chinensis)	Groundcover 1-2 ft tall and 8-10 ft wide.
Andorra	Creeping juniper	Light green foliage tinged purple in winter.
Bar Harbor	Creeping juniper	Low groundcover with tiny scale-like leaves.
Blue Chip	Creeping juniper	Silver-blue-green all year with purplish winter tips.
Mother Lode	Creeping juniper	Flat, pancake-like gold groundcover.
Wiltonii	Creeping juniper	Long, floppy branches forming dense mats.
Blue Rug	Creeping juniper (J. horizontalis)	Dense, trailing, creeping groundcover.
Taylor	Eastern red-cedar (J. virginiana)	Very narrow, 20-25 ft tall and 4 ft wide; thought to be male, no cones.
Blue Pacific	Groundcover juniper (listed by NC State with creeping juniper)	Low, 0.5-1 ft tall and 6-8 ft wide; blue-green; full sun.
Wilhelm Pfitzer	Pfitzer juniper	Male, gray-green, 6-10 ft tall and 15-20 ft wide; NC State rates Pfitzer highly flammable.
Hetzii (Hetz)	Pfitzer juniper (J. x pfitzeriana)	Blue-green, 8-12 ft tall and wide.
Brodie	Upright juniper	Female; bright green foliage that doesn't bronze in winter; 20-30 ft tall.

Pests to watch for

Bagworm, Scale insects, Spruce spider mite, Aphids

Diseases and problems

Phomopsis blight, Kabatina tip blight, Cercospora needle blight, Cedar apple rust, Winter injury, Dog urine damage, Girdling roots, Diplodia tip blight

In the kitchen

Safety: NC State tags garden junipers for contact dermatitis, so wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning if your skin is sensitive. NC State rates Pfitzer juniper as highly flammable.

Pets: Not on the ASPCA toxic plant lists.

Sources

Photo: Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.