Juniperus horizontalis
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- jew-NIP-er-us hor-ih-zon-TAL-iss
- Description
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Creeping juniper is a low-growing, needled evergreen shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. It is a native of North America, found throughout Canada and the northern part of the United States from Maine west to Montana and in Alaska. Both its species and common names refer to the tendency of its long, trailing branches to spread much farther horizontally than it grows vertically.
Usually found growing in rocky or sandy soils from rocky outcrops to streams, this shrub is fairly adaptable to various soil types and pH as long as the soil is well drained. It is drought and deer tolerant, fairly salt tolerant, and grows well in coastal conditions.. It prefers full sun and tolerates hot weather, moderately poor soils, and many air pollutants found in urban areas. Creeping juniper grows up to 1.5 feet high, and branches can spread to form a dense mat up to 10 feet wide. Plant 6 to 12 feet apart.
Creeping juniper has green or blue-green, scale-like foliage that may take on a purplish tinge in winter. It produces small, round, blue, berry-like cones.
There are many cultivars available for use as a ground cover on slopes, where it can help control soil erosion, or in retaining walls or rock gardens.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Creeping juniper and its cultivars are susceptible to infestation by aphids, bagworms, caterpillars, false spider mites, juniper scale, juniper tip mite, juniper webworm, and spruce spider mites.This shrub and its cultivars are susceptible to Cercospora needle blight, Phomopsis and other blights, and some fungal diseases. It shares with apple trees a susceptibility to a rust fungus called Gymnosporangium juniperi - virginianae. This fungus causes "cedar apples" on juniper twigs and dark leaf spots on apple leaves.
The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common juniper diseases and insect pests.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Paths & Walkways A Sampling of Shade Gardens
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'Andorra'
- 'Blue Pacific'
- 'Maiden Gold'
- 'Plumosa'
- 'Plumosa Compacta'
Blue-green foliage turns purple in winter
'Wiltonii'
- 'Youngstown'
Light green foliage, purple-tinged in winter 'Bar Harbor'
Very small, tightly appressed, awl-shaped scale-like leaves 'Blue Chip'
Silver-blue-green foliage all year, purplish tips in winter 'Blue Forest'
Blue-green branch tips turn up
Dense, trailing, creeping form 'Lime Glow'
Upright mound to v-shaped
Flat pancake form
Branches are long and floppy, forming dense mats, grown as a groundcover - 'Blue Pacific'
- 'Andorra', 'Bar Harbor', 'Blue Chip', 'Blue Forest', 'Blue Pacific', 'Blue Rug', 'Lime Glow', 'Maiden Gold', 'Mother Lode', 'Plumosa', 'Plumosa Compacta', 'Wiltonii', 'Youngstown'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
-
'Andorra'
- 'Blue Pacific'
- 'Maiden Gold'
- 'Plumosa'
- 'Plumosa Compacta'
Blue-green foliage turns purple in winter
'Wiltonii'
- 'Youngstown'
Light green foliage, purple-tinged in winter 'Bar Harbor'
Very small, tightly appressed, awl-shaped scale-like leaves 'Blue Chip'
Silver-blue-green foliage all year, purplish tips in winter 'Blue Forest'
Blue-green branch tips turn up
Dense, trailing, creeping form 'Lime Glow'
Upright mound to v-shaped
Flat pancake form
Branches are long and floppy, forming dense mats, grown as a groundcover - 'Blue Pacific'
- 'Andorra', 'Bar Harbor', 'Blue Chip', 'Blue Forest', 'Blue Pacific', 'Blue Rug', 'Lime Glow', 'Maiden Gold', 'Mother Lode', 'Plumosa', 'Plumosa Compacta', 'Wiltonii', 'Youngstown'
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Juniperus
- Species:
- horizontalis
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern North America into Canada
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Blue
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- No fruits, cones are blue 2 to 3-seeded and berry-like on recurved stalks appear the second year after pollination. They are less than 1/2 inch wide. May or may not be present on cultivars.
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Flowers:
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- No flowers. Male cones have a cluster of yellowish stamens up to 5 mm. long. Female cones have a cluster of small scales during their first year. Wind pollinated. Appear late spring or summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The mature leaves are scale-like with scales closely pressed to stem and found in a four rank pattern. Young leaves are awl-like in opposite pairs. Color is green to blue-green in summer. May take on a purplish hue in winter
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Peeling
- Bark Description:
- Reddish-brown and peeling
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Branchlets are brown and smooth. New growth is yellow-green
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Rock Wall
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Erosion
- Heat
- Pollution
- Salt
- Urban Conditions
