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Plants that fill a similar niche:
Juniperus conferta Juniperus conferta 'blue pacific'
Microbiota decussata Microbiota decussata
Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Syringa meyeri
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' has some common insect problems:
Pests of Conifers

'Blue Star' Singleseed Juniper Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star'

Phonetic Spelling
jew-NIP-er-us skwa-MA-ta
Description

'Blue Star' Singleseed Juniper is a cultivar that is a dwarf conifer, an evergreen, and slow-growing shrub that may reach from 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 4 feet wide. The shrub forms a compact, dense mound. The leaves are blue-gray, awl-shaped needles with a white band that overlap and are densely arranged in whorls of three. The fruits are bluish-berry-like seed cones.

This cultivar was introduced in 1964 in the Netherlands. It originated as a "witch's broom" on another cultivar 'Meyeri' of the same species.

The genus name, Juniperus, is Latin for juniper. The specific epithet, squamata, refers to the shrub's scaly bark. This cultivar is commonly called the singleseed juniper because the female berry-like seed cone only produces a single seed. 

This evergreen shrub prefers full sun and moist to well-drained soils. It tolerates a variety of soils including poor soils, dry soils, and sandy soils. It is drought-tolerant and relatively tolerant of hot and humid conditions. It grows well in dry, sandy soils with good drainage, but it is intolerant to wet soils. This shrub requires very little maintenance and usually, no pruning.

The 'Blue Star' Singleseed Juniper cultivar is a great selection as a foundation plant, for rock gardens, specimens, or planted in mass as a ground cover.

Quick ID Hints:

  • evergreen, compact shrub with a dense habit
  • blue-gray, awl-shaped needles with a white band that overlapped and appear in whorls of three
  • the fruit is a blue-berry like female seed cone that contains one seed
  • scaly bark

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: 'Blue Star' Singleseed Juniper has no serious insect or disease problems. In rainy or wet springs, it may be susceptible to twig blight. Other diseases include root rot, cedar-apple rust, and other rust diseases. Potential insects include aphids, bagworms, twig borers, webworms, scale, and spider mites. 

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

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy, and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

 

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscapes:
Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Lawn and Upper Drive Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#shrub#slow growing#blue green needles#low maintenance#cottage garden#mass planting#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#foundation planting#groundcover#rock garden#border planting#evergreen shrub#poor soils tolerant#urban conditions tolerant#sandy soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#wet soils intolerant#dense growth#landscape plant sleuths course
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#shrub#slow growing#blue green needles#low maintenance#cottage garden#mass planting#erosion control#needled evergreen#deer resistant#foundation planting#groundcover#rock garden#border planting#evergreen shrub#poor soils tolerant#urban conditions tolerant#sandy soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#wet soils intolerant#dense growth#landscape plant sleuths course
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Juniperus
    Species:
    squamata
    Family:
    Cupressaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Dense
    Mounding
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    3 feet-6 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Blue
    Fruit Description:
    The fruit is a bluish-berry-like cone. The female cone produces only one seed.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    Non-flowering
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Gray/Silver
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Whorled
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The unusual bluish-gray awl-shaped leaves are in whorls of three being dense and overlapping one another.
  • Bark:
    Bark Description:
    The bark is scaly.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Lawn
    Small Space
    Landscape Theme:
    Cottage Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Foundation Planting
    Mass Planting
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Erosion
    Pollution
    Poor Soil