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Junipers

Junipers are the toughest conifers in the garden. They take heat, frost, wind, poor soil and long dry spells, and they come in two useful shapes. Upright forms such as Spartan and Skyrocket make narrow evergreen columns for screens and formal accents. Spreading forms such as shore juniper hug the ground and cover banks where little else will grow. Foliage runs from deep green to blue and gold. Every plant is delivered Australia wide.

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How to choose a juniper

Choose the shape first. For a narrow screen or a pair of sentinels, Spartan grows to about 5m tall and just over a metre wide with rich green foliage, and Skyrocket is narrower still, a blue grey pencil to 6m. Pyramidalis and Keteleeri are broader cones for windbreaks. For ground cover, shore juniper (Juniperus conferta) spreads 2m wide at ankle height, All Gold is its yellow form, and Blue Forest and Glauca give a blue carpet. Grey Owl sits in between: a low, wide shrub about 1.2m tall and 3m across.

Where junipers work

Junipers want full sun and drainage and very little else. They suit coastal gardens, inland heat, frosty districts and exposed sites. Use upright forms along a driveway, beside an entrance or as a slim screen where width is tight. Use the spreading forms on slopes, over retaining walls and in gravel gardens. They do less well in shade or in wet, humid tropical conditions. See our full range of conifers for more shapes, and drought tolerant plants for good companions.

Planting and spacing

For a screen, plant Spartan about 1m apart and Skyrocket 60cm to 80cm apart. Ground cover junipers go 1m to 1.5m apart and knit together in two to three years. Plant level with the soil in a wide hole, do not bury the trunk, and mulch with gravel or bark. Water weekly through the first summer.

Care basics

Once established, junipers need little water and no regular feeding. Trim lightly in spring if needed, cutting only into green growth: conifers do not reshoot from bare wood. Keep mulch and irrigation light, because wet soil is the main cause of losses.

Common questions

How fast do junipers grow?

Upright junipers such as Spartan grow 30cm to 50cm a year in good conditions. Ground cover forms spread about 30cm a year.

Which juniper is best for a narrow screen?

Spartan for a dense green column about a metre wide, or Skyrocket where the space is narrower still.

Can junipers be pruned hard?

No. Trim only the green growth. A juniper cut back to bare wood will not fill in again.

Do junipers grow in pots?

Yes. Upright forms make good formal pot plants in full sun. Use a free draining mix and do not let the pot sit in water.