Juniper
Juniperus
Juniper is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Juniper
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 13 ft tall and 4.9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 10 years.
When to plant Juniper
Plant Juniper in spring once the soil is workable, or by very early fall at the latest: an evergreen needs its roots down well before the ground freezes. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, that is March to May, or August on the fall side.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 9 varieties
Same plant, same care - pick the variety you are growing.
Good to know about Juniper
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxicity depends on the species. Savin (Juniperus sabina) is dangerous: its oil can cause miscarriage and liver damage. Common junipers show no such effect. Never use juniper oil internally. per Molecules
Worth knowing
The blue 'berries' are not fruit but fleshy female seed cones, so only female plants carry them. Common juniper's cones are what flavor gin. per NC State
Hosts cedar-apple rust
Junipers host cedar-apple rust, a fungus needing both a juniper and a rose-family plant. Do not plant susceptible junipers near apple, crabapple, hawthorn, or serviceberry. per UC IPM and Wisconsin
Overwatering causes root rot
Junipers are drought-tough but demand sharp drainage. In wet, poorly drained ground they get Phytophthora root rot, a water mold that cannot be cured once it takes hold. per Clemson
Habit varies by cultivar
'Juniper' is a whole genus: forms range from ground-hugging creeping mats to tall redcedar trees. Habit is entirely cultivar-dependent, so check your specific variety. per NC State
Browning has many causes
Browning foliage can be tip blight, spider mites, webworm, root rot, winter purpling, or salt burn. Diagnose which before spraying, since a miticide will not touch a blight. per Clemson and NC State
What pairs well with Juniper
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.