Japanese garden juniper is a prostrate ground cover that slowly spreads up to twelve feet. Growing about 2’ high, this evergreen shrub has a stiff and wiry habit with wide spreading branches and ascending branch tips. The branches tend to entwine with each other and form a dense mat. The foliage is bluish green and needle-like with a coarse to medium texture. Easy to transplant and grow, Japanese garden juniper is an excellent ground cover, and useful in the border and rock garden. It tolerates a variety of soil conditions except wet ones and is pollution tolerant. The variety ‘Nana’ has smaller leaves and finer texture than the species and is frequently used for bonsai.
Type: Evergreen shrub
Outstanding Feature: Adapatibility
Form: Prostrate, low growing
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: Male and female cones are produced on separate plants
Size: 8-24” H x 12’ W
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium dry, well-drained, pH adaptable; does not tolerate wet soils
Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: Prone to juniper blight; susceptible to spider mites, bagworms, scale; aphids, webworms and twig borers may cause problems.
Propagation: Cuttings
Outstanding Selection: ‘Nana’ (more dwarf than species with smaller leaves).
Karen Meyers