Grey Owl Juniper

Grey Owl Juniper (Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl') is a conifer that covers ground rather than climbing. It holds at about 1.2m tall while spreading to 3m across, so a handful of plants blankets a bank, a rockery or a hot driveway edge in soft silver grey foliage. It wants sun and drainage, and very little else.

Why you'll love it

• Wide, not tall. It spreads two to three times its own height, so a few plants cover ground that would otherwise take dozens of shrubs.
• Silver grey through every season. Evergreen foliage that keeps its colour in winter and sets off dark green hedging, gravel and stone.
• Built for exposed sites. Salt tolerant, wind tolerant, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, which suits coastal front gardens and windy corners.
• No clipping needed. It grows into its natural shape without shearing, and small birds use the dense low cover.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1.5m apart, which works out at roughly one plant per 2.25 square metres. The branches knit into continuous cover in two to three seasons.

Slopes and retaining walls. The surface roots bind loose soil on a bank, and plants set along the top of a wall drape over the face and soften it.

Borders and edging. A single row at 1.5m makes a low, soft edge along a driveway or path, with no trimming and no sightline problem.

Growing Grey Owl Juniper in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and this one is not negotiable: in shade the plant opens up, thins at the centre and never recovers. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it is reliably frost hardy. Humid tropical and subtropical gardens are the wrong home for it.

Soil. Any well drained soil, including sandy, gravelly and alkaline ground. Wet feet kill it, so on clay plant on a raised mound with coarse material worked through.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer while the roots establish, then rainfall is generally enough. A light complete fertiliser in spring for the first two years is all it needs.

Pruning. Trim the outer tips only, to shape or to hold a spread. Junipers do not reshoot from bare brown wood, so cutting back into old growth leaves a permanent hole.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in one size, 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Each plant is young and already spreading rather than upright, and a pack covers about 13 square metres at the recommended 1.5m spacing.

Conifers travel well, though foliage can look dull for a week after transit. Plant promptly, water in, and keep the mulch clear of the crown. Expect modest growth in the first year and steady spread from the second. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in the conifer range.
• Read about growing and maintaining conifers.
• See other options for retaining walls and slopes.
• Browse the wider groundcover range.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 1.5m spacing each plant covers about 2.25 square metres, so a pack of six handles roughly 13 square metres. Wider spacing works too, it simply takes another season to close.

Will it grow in shade?

No. Part shade produces thin, sparse growth and a bare centre. Give it full sun or choose a shade tolerant groundcover instead.

Can I cut it back if it spreads too far?

Only lightly, into green growth. It will not reshoot from bare brown wood, so a hard cut back leaves a gap that never fills. Allow the full 3m spread from the start.