Plant DetailShow Menu

Plants that fill a similar niche:
Nerium oleander Flower Form
Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda' Ilex cornuda 'Rotunda'
Rhododendron eriocarpum Rhododendron eriocarpum

Microbiota decussata

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
my-kro-by-OH-tah dee-koo-SAY-tah
Description

A dwarf evergreen conifer.  Forms a feathery groundcover with a graceful branch pattern.  Genus name comes from the Greek micro meaning small and Biota an obsolete name for Platycladus.

Foliage turns bronze to burgundy in winter when grown in sun; feathery dull green foliage with graceful branch pattern; small scale-like awl-shaped leaflet; branchlets arranged in flattened sprays; bright green needles are scale-like; soft texture; bronzy-purple to brown in winter

Full sun to part shade; moist well-drained soil; More shade tolerant than groundcover junipers.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen
 
Microbiota decussata
Leaves Megan Hansen CC-BY-SA 2.0
Microbiota decussata
Leaves (Buncombe County, NC) Randy Harter CC BY 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Microbiota
    Species:
    decussata
    Family:
    Cupressaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Northern Primorye
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 9 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Description:
    iny, spherical, berry-like cones with scales
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Insignificant
    Flower Description:
    Grown for foliage
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    small scale-like awl-shaped leaflet; branchlets arranged in flattened sprays; bronzy-purple to burgundy to brown in winter
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No