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Blue Heaven Juniper Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Heaven'

Phonetic Spelling
jew-NIP-er-us skop-yew-LOR-um
Description

'Blue Heaven' Juniper is a needled-evergreen tree, a cultivar of J. scopulorum. Its vertical habit makes it a great selection for a small garden area or for placing several in a row to serve as a screen or sound barrier. Cone production is heavy.

'Blue Heaven' is best grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. It prefers dry, sandy soils with good drainage, but will tolerate a wide range of soil types as long as they are not wet. This cultivar's parent tree is a native of western North America and can be found growing in dry, rocky foothills at higher elevations; like its parent, 'Blue Heaven' is generally intolerant of the hot and humid growing conditions of the deep South.

'Blue Heaven' is typically grown for its beautiful silver-blue foliage. Its ability to tolerate poor soil, heat, and drought make it a go-to selection. Its vertical habit makes it a great selection for a small garden area or for placing several in a row to serve as a screen or sound barrier.   

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: 

Wear gloves when handling to avoid skin irritation.  Junipers are susceptible to blights and root rot, particularly under wet conditions. Phomopsis twig blight is of particular concern. Rust diseases spend part of their life cycle on junipers. Occasional insect pests include aphids, bagworms, twig borers, webworms and scale. Watch for spider mites.

The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common juniper diseases and insect pests.

More information on Juniperus scopulorum.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#heat tolerant#winter interest#air pollution tolerant#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#poor soils tolerant#rocky soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#shallow soil tolerant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#heat tolerant#winter interest#air pollution tolerant#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#poor soils tolerant#rocky soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#shallow soil tolerant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Juniperus
    Species:
    scopulorum
    Family:
    Cupressaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Play Value:
    Colorful
    Screening
    Sound
    Textural
    Wind Break
    Dimensions:
    Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Ascending
    Columnar
    Conical
    Erect
    Pyramidal
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    12-24 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Blue
    Fruit Description:
    Heavy cone production. The seed cones are berry-like, dark blue with a pale blue-white waxy bloom, and contain two seeds that mature in about 18 months. The pollen cones shed their pollen in early spring
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    Conifers do not have flowers.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Whorled
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Silver-blue, evergreen foliage arranged in opposite decussate pairs, or occasionally in whorls of three; the adult leaves are scale-like while the juvenile leaves (on young seedlings only) are needle-like.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Surface/Attachment:
    Exfoliating
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Slope/Bank
    Vertical Spaces
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Barrier
    Border
    Hedge
    Mass Planting
    Screen/Privacy
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Erosion
    Pollution
    Poor Soil