Junipers Are a Landscaper’s Dream — How to Use Them in Your Lawn Like a Pro

Junipers are hardy, drought-tolerant, and have growth habits that range from low ground covers to large pyramidal forms. The palette of foliage colors ranges from yellow to silver-blue, to dark green.

Whether you need a plant for a hedge, screen, ground cover, or foundation plant, you can easily use juniper to design a beautiful landscape.

How to Add Juniper to Your Landscaping

Because there are so many cultivars in the Juniperus genus, you’re sure to find a color and form to integrate into your landscape. Consider what your landscape needs before shopping for junipers so you’ll be sure to select the best option.

As an Accent

Whether you want to draw the eye to an upright form or a strong color story in the landscape, you’re sure to find a juniper that will work. This Juniperus communis ‘Arnold’ is a dense, slow-growing, columnar, evergreen with blue-green leaves. The waxy cones ripen from green to blue-black.

For a pop of accent color, consider Juniperus conferta ‘All Gold.’ The stunning gold foliage pairs well with darker-leafed plants. The shrub requires very little to no maintenance or pruning.

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For Privacy

Junipers make great hedges or privacy screens. However, it’s important to select fast-growing forms and the right size for your planting area. The Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’, seen here, is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 3-9. This moderate-rate grower has blue-green dense foliage and a narrow columnar form to provide privacy and can reach 30 feet tall and about three feet wide.

A faster-growing choice is Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’ which reaches 15 feet tall and five feet wide with a deep green color.

For Groundcover and Erosion Control

Landscaping a steep hill can be difficult, but one of the most widely-used solutions to control erosion and provide a green groundcover year-round is a low-growing juniper. Because these shrubs are low-maintenance, they are the perfect choice for hard-to-reach areas. Choose any one of these varieties:

• Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’: (Zones 4a-9b) Grows 18 inches to two feet high with a spread of seven feet with green foliage.
• Juniperus horizontalis ‘Plumosa Compacta’: (Zones 3a-9b) This dense branching juniper reaches only 18 inches high but spreads up to eight feet with bronze-purple winter color and gray-green summer color.
• Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltoni’: (Zones 4b-9b) Commonly called blue rug, it has intense silver-blue foliage and is fast growing. Grows only six inches high with a spread of 6-8 feet.
• Juniperus conferta ‘Shore Juniper’: (Zones 6a-9b) Yellowish-green, this variety grows 12-15 inches tall with an 8-foot spread. This juniper is also tolerant of poor, sandy soils along coastal areas.

For Border Planting

With so many variations in size, spread, texture, and color, junipers are perfect for planting in a mixed border. Add a single or odd number of large tree-shaped junipers as focal points. Then include junipers of different sizes and shapes for structure, textural interest, and year-round color.

As a Container Plant

Juniper are a classic choice for creating bonsai gardens that can last decades. However, junipers are also a good choice for containers to grace a patio or front entrance.

Slow-growing, dwarf varieties are the best choices for containers. Because there are so many juniper forms, you can select a variety like Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, a dwarf Japanese juniper, that can mound, cascade, or be trained into an upright topiary for a container.

Choose a planter with drainage holes that is no more than twice the size of the plant’s nursery pot to allow for a few years of growth before having to repot. For taller plants, make sure the pot is heavy enough to provide a sturdy base.

Select a winter hardy plant suitable for one or two USDA zones cooler than your location. Use a moist, well-draining potting medium that is high in organic matter. Water the juniper regularly and feed only during the summer with an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer.

Juniper Care

Junipers prefer full sun to thrive. When planted in shady areas, the plant will be less dense and more susceptible to disease.

There’s a variety of juniper for every type of soil as long as it is well-draining. Even heavy clay soils can be amended with organic matter to support a healthy juniper.

Once established, junipers are drought-tolerant and seldom need supplemental irrigation. They will suffer from root rot if over-watered. Most junipers require little or no pruning except to remove dead foliage.

There are cultivars of junipers that will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 3a-9b. The key is to select the variety best suited for your growing zone.

Pests to Look Out For

Bagworms, spider mites, leaf miners, webworms, and aphids are common insect pests of junipers. You can remove bagworms manually by snipping off the webs. The others can be controlled with pesticides. Problems typically arise when the plants are overwatered or planted in a spot that is too shady.