Blue Rug Juniper – Juniperus horizontalis

Cultural Requirements: Best in dry, well-drained soil in full sun. Established plants withstand drought and wind. salt-tolerant. Resistant to most pests (including deer) and to cedar rust. Susceptible to juniper twig-blight diseases that can cause branch die-back. South of the Chicago region, bagworm can be a problem.

Ornamental Characteristics: A very low, flat, spreading or trailing, dense, female evergreen shrub with prickly, silvery-blue foliage that turns light purplish in winter. Plants of this female cultivar produce berry-shaped cones that, if pollinated, ripen to a bluish color. (Male plants of J. horizontalis produce small, inconspicuous cones resembling catkins that produce pollen.) Uses in the Landscape: Use as a year-round ground cover, in foundation plantings, on slopes, or trailing over ledges.

Tree Encyclopedia | Tree Index | Family Pinaceae: Pine, Cedar, Spruce, and Fir