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Andorra Juniper Juniperus horizontalis 'Plumosa'

Previously known as:

  • 'Plumosa Compacta'
Phonetic Spelling
jew-NIP-er-us hor-ih-zon-TAL-iss
Description

'Plumosa' juniper is a needled evergreen cultivar shrub or groundcover in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. The parent plant, creeping juniper, is native to the northern part of North America. The species name horizeontalis refers to the tendency of its long, trailing branches to spread much farther horizontally than it grows vertically.

With a low-growing flat spreading habit it reaches 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide at a moderate rate. Plant 3 to 6 feet apart. Fine textured blue-green to gray-green needles turn copper to purple in winter. bringing interest to the landscape even in the winter. This plant prefers full sun and well-drained, acidic to slightly alkaline soil.  The parent plant is found growing in rocky or sandy soils from rocky outcrops to streams, making this shrub fairly adaptable to various soil types, including poor soils, and pH as long as the soil is well drained. While it is intolerant of shade, it is drought, heat, and deer browsing. It is fairly salt tolerant making it grows well in coastal areas and is tolerant of air pollution and other urban conditions making it a good choice for a home landscape plant.  

Ideal to use mass planted on slopes as a ground cover to manage erosion. Use in rock gardens, in a container.or in the front of a border.  The evergreen leaves bring color planted along a walkway or as foundation planting  It can also be used for bonsai.

Quick ID Hints:

  • Mostly awl-shaped leaves but can also be intermediate, opposite, or in whorls of threes
  • Gray-green leaves appear in the summer and turn light purple in the winter
  • Foliage is sticky
  • Female cone is 1/4" in diameter, globose, bluish or greenish-black, and glaucous
  • This plant is a flat-spreading, evergreen shrub

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.

More information on Juniperus horizontalis.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Children's Secret Garden at Wilson Botanical Gardens
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Douglasii'
  • 'Glomerata'
  • 'Hill reers'
  • 'Humilis protrate glauca'
  • 'Silver sheen'
  • 'Wiltori'
  • 'Yukon belle'
'Douglasii', 'Glomerata', 'Hill reers', 'Humilis protrate glauca', 'Silver sheen', 'Wiltori', 'Yukon belle'
Tags:
#evergreen#small spaces#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#blue green needles#bonsai#winter interest#slopes#mass planting#air pollution tolerant#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#foundation planting#rock garden#evergreen shrub#evergreen groundcover#border front#walkway planting#urban conditions tolerant#garden walls#fall color purple#disease problems#container plant#wet soils intolerant#coastal plant#purple needles#insect problems#cpp
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Douglasii'
  • 'Glomerata'
  • 'Hill reers'
  • 'Humilis protrate glauca'
  • 'Silver sheen'
  • 'Wiltori'
  • 'Yukon belle'
'Douglasii', 'Glomerata', 'Hill reers', 'Humilis protrate glauca', 'Silver sheen', 'Wiltori', 'Yukon belle'
Tags:
#evergreen#small spaces#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#blue green needles#bonsai#winter interest#slopes#mass planting#air pollution tolerant#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#foundation planting#rock garden#evergreen shrub#evergreen groundcover#border front#walkway planting#urban conditions tolerant#garden walls#fall color purple#disease problems#container plant#wet soils intolerant#coastal plant#purple needles#insect problems#cpp
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Juniperus
    Species:
    horizontalis
    Family:
    Cupressaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 6 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Perennial
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    3 feet-6 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Black
    Blue
    Green
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    No fruit, small blue to green black cones 1/4"
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    No flowers, cones.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Whorled
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Light green to blue or gray green awl shaped needles, purple to copper tinged in winter. Needles are opposite to whorled and have a sticky feel.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Slope/Bank
    Small Space
    Walkways
    Landscape Theme:
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Rock Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Foundation Planting
    Mass Planting
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Erosion
    Heat
    Pollution
    Urban Conditions
    Problems:
    Frequent Disease Problems
    Frequent Insect Problems