Versatile junipers are sturdy, popular plants for the home landscape

Sep 30, 2023

Junipers are tough plants that can be found growing across the world, including in some of the most desolate areas.

There are about 40 species of juniper, 13 of which are native to North America. In addition, there are numerous cultivars that have been developed from native plants, including trees, shrubs, and creepers.

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The Juniperus genus is thought to be the most diverse of needle bearing evergreens, which in their incredible variability inhabit everywhere from boggy wetlands to sunbaked deserts. This diversity leads to this plant's adaptability in home landscapes with cultivars available for almost any spot you might select.

The foliage of junipers can grow either as sharp needles or soft, flat scales. Most produce "berries" that are technically fleshy male or female cones. The male cones produce copious pollen, as many allergy sufferers may be aware.

Junipers have interesting peeling bark that can vary in color. In general, they prefer full sun, but some varieties can tolerate shade. All are very drought tolerant once established. In addition, they are resistant to deer, salt spray, insects, diseases, mildew, and heat.

The popularity of junipers in home landscapes is apparent when looking at how many are available in the nursery trade. You’ll find lots of choices in local nurseries.

Eastern red cedar is a native tree that you might find popping up in your yard as a volunteer. It will grow to a height of 40 to 50 feet in an oval, columnar, or pyramidal form with a spread of eight to 15 feet. It develops blue "berries" on female trees, and birds devour the fruit and spread it widely.

This tree has long been used in the South as an old-fashioned Christmas tree and a source of blue-green holiday greenery.

The "Brodie" cultivar of red cedar maintains an upright, conical-columnar form and can be grown in tight spaces. It reminds one of Italian cypress but only grows to 20 feet with a width of eight to 15 inches.

It is a fast grower and has bright green, feathery foliage that produces light yellow and maroon flowers. Bark strips of red-brown curl backward, adding to its appeal.

Junipers that assume shrub forms vary from fairly low growing to sizes that approach trees in height.

"Torulosa" juniper grows into a narrow cone shape when young, then opens up as the plant ages. Although the main body of its foliage is as thick as if it had been sheared, delicately twisted upright branches emerge gracefully from all around the plant. It may grow to 15 feet tall in 15 years in a picturesque manner.

A stately plant that maintains its shape well, "Blue Point" juniper makes a great specimen or screening plant. It may grow to 12 feet in a pyramidal shape that is densely branched. Achieving a width of four to eight feet if left untrimmed, it will respond well to pruning if desired. It has blue-green foliage and can be expected to grow four to six inches a year.

"Grey Owl" juniper is a fast-growing shrub with unusual thread-like silvery blue-grey needles. It can grow to a height of four feet with a spread of six feet within 10 years, and branch tips may become purple throughout the winter months. The shape of "Grey Owl" may be mounding, arching, or weeping, giving it a distinct appearance.

Creeping junipers can perform several functions in the home landscape, including providing erosion control on slopes and serving as groundcovers in sunny spots. Give them all plenty of room to grow as they spread to cover wide areas.

"Parson's" juniper is a very popular dense growing shrub that grows two to three feet tall and spreads four to ten feet wide. The blue-green to gray-green foliage has a soft texture, and the shrub has an upright branching pattern. It is a medium grower and, like all junipers, appreciates good drainage.

Up to two feet in height, "Blue Pacific" juniper is a low trailing shrub, and the primary branches lay on the ground. It may be used as a ground cover and is great in massed plantings. It produces female berry-like cones that are bluish to bluish-black in color and is a rapid growing plant with ocean-green foliage that is soft to slightly-prickly to touch.

"Sargent" junipers grow only to 18 to 24 inches in height but eight to 10 feet in spread. The "berries" on female plants are blue and fleshy and edible, often used as a seasoning. It's a prickly plant with grey-silver to green foliage.

"Dwarf Japanese Garden" juniper, also known as Procumbens ‘Nana,’ is a matting shrub that can grow up to six inches high and three to four feet wide. It grows well over obstacles such as low walls or rocks. This slow growing plant is useful as a ground cover, in a border, in a rock garden, or in mass plantings. The branches are stiff and ascend at the tips with bluish-green foliage that may turn slightly purplish in winter.

The lowest growing and possibly the slowest growing juniper, "Blue Rug" grows as a dense, trailing, creeping form, making an excellent ground cover. It is particularly drought tolerant among the junipers and is a great solution for dry, sunny, sloped conditions. With a terminal height of only four to six inches, "Blue Rug" will achieve a width of six to eight feet with feathery blue to grey-silver foliage.

There is a form of juniper for almost every landscape use, making them a versatile choice for every Florida yard. Why not give one or more a try in your landscape?

Susan Barnes is a Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email [email protected].

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