what grows well with juniper trees

Good Juniper Companion Plants

Full Answer

What can I plant with a juniper tree?

When you are looking for juniper plant companions, think about bamboo. Bamboo species, particularly dwarf bamboo plants, are also good choices for juniper companion plants. Tall bamboo mixes well with tall junipers, while groundcover juniper blends seamlessly with dwarf bamboo.

What plants look good with Blue Star juniper?

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Lutea’ has the same requirements as the Blue Star juniper and adds light and color with its soft tufts of brilliant gold foliage. Any juniper with blue foliage also looks good near other blue-hued plants. Plants with blue flowers, berries or leaves make good companion plants for juniper.

What are the best juniper composting plants to grow with?

Another blue-star Juniper companion plant on our list is Sedum. Again, the easy-to-grow plant genus has many species you could select from. It needs less care and can thrive in less hospitable environments. Sedums love full sunlight and have moderate water requirements. Preferably underwater and under-fertilize Sedum to avoid hurting them.

What kind of juniper trees grow in Zone 9?

Its foliage is blue green and very drought resistant. Gold juniper ( Juniperus virginianum ‘Aurea’) is another plant to consider when you are growing juniper in zone 9. It has golden foliage that forms a tall, loose pyramid up to 15 feet (4.6 m.) tall. For even taller types of juniper, look at Burkii juniper ( Juniperus virginiana ‘Burkii’).

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Where is the best place to plant a juniper?

Plant juniper shrubs in a location with full sun or light shade. When they get too much shade, the branches spread apart in an effort to let more sunlight in, and the damage to their shape can't be repaired. Junipers grow in any type of soil as long as it is well-drained.

Are juniper trees toxic to other plants?

Certain trees and shrubs -- including junipers -- secrete a toxin into the soil called allelopathy that kills nearby plants. This prevents the juniper from having to compete for water, nutrients and sunlight, and may damage future vegetation planted in the area.

Will hostas grow under juniper trees?

Hostas can grow under junipers. The main thing to remember when growing hostas under junipers is to clean up any litter from the juniper so the hosta has a clear place to grow.

What goes well with blue Star juniper?

There are several plants and shrubs that make wonderful companion plants for Blue Star Junipers, including Roses, Grasses, Barberry, Sedums, Yuccas and Hydrangeas.

Do juniper trees attract rats?

Plant ivy, palm trees, juniper bushes, and cypress trees to attract rats. These plants and trees make wonderful homes for them.

Do juniper trees have invasive roots?

A juniper's tap root can penetrate 25 feet straight down in search of water. It can also send out lateral roots 100 feet or more from the tree.

Do junipers make soil acidic?

Higher acidity of soil may be caused by presence of conifers such as juniper trees. Acidity may also be caused by rainfall and leaching, acidic plant material, and high rates of organic matter decomposition.

Where should you not plant hostas?

It's important to know that these perennials grow best in soil that's fertile and full of organic matter. Avoid planting hostas in heavy clay soil, which won't offer enough drainage. In areas that receive a lot of snow in the winter, to protect stems and leaves, place hostas where snow tends to pile up.

How do you keep weeds out of juniper ground cover?

Apply preemergence herbicides in late February to early March to prevent germination of summer weed seeds that have filtered through the junipers and reached the soil. Make another application of a preemergence herbicide in mid-August to late September to prevent winter weeds seeds from germinating.

How do you landscape a blue star juniper?

Plant new shrubs in a shallow, broad hole that is as deep as the root ball and three times as wide. Add some compost to the soil and replace the soil up to the base of the plant. Give the new plant a good watering. cover the ground around it with a 2-inch layer of mulch, but keep the mulch 4 inches away from the stem.

How fast does juniper grow?

4 to 8 inches per yearThe growth rate of Junipers varies, but these plants tend to grow at a slow or moderate rate. Most shrub and groundcover junipers grow 4 to 8 inches per year. For creeping or spreading junipers this means growth by width and for other bushes it means height. The Blue Rug can grow up to 12 inches per year.

What are juniper trees good for?

In foods, the juniper berry is often used as a condiment and a flavoring ingredient in gin and bitter preparations. The extract and essential oil are used as a flavoring ingredient in foods and beverages. In manufacturing, the juniper oil is used as a fragrance in soaps and cosmetics.

Are juniper trees toxic?

ANSWER: The University of California - Davis list Juniperus (Junipers) in their Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants list as having a minor toxicity (class 2) for pets and children. This rating means ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea.

Are juniper trees poisonous?

Are juniper berries poisonous? Yes, most juniper berries are poisonous, though some contain only small amounts of thujone, a toxic compound, which may make some varieties safe to eat in small quantities.

Which species of juniper is toxic?

Savin Juniper is known to be toxic and potentially deadly poisonous if taken in large enough quantities. It can be difficult to accurately distinguish between different species of cultivated junipers because they have been bred to have unique features not present in their wild forms.

What types of juniper are poisonous?

NOTE: The berries of Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus are not safe for human consumption and should be avoided. Be certain you only consume berries from a variety you know is safe. You must also consider location when foraging for juniper berries.

What family is a juniper tree in?

Juniper trees and shrubs belong to the genus Juniperus in the coniferous plant family Cupressaceae.

What is a Mexican Juniper?

The Mexican juniper is a weeping juniper tree with drooping branches, flattened green sprays, brown berry-like cones, and thin cinnamon-brown bark that peels off in thin strips. Also called the drooping juniper, the Mexican juniper tree grows between 16 and 33 ft. (5 – 10 m) tall and 33 ft. (10 m) wide.

What is a skyrocket juniper?

The ‘Skyrocket’ juniper tree is a columnar juniper that is perfect to create a visual accent in a garden landscape. The narrow, columnar juniper is identified by its scale-like aromatic leaves that are a bluish-green color. The juniper has identifiable thin, reddish-brown peeling bark and bluish-gray berry-like cones.

What do the cones on a juniper tree look like?

The small round green or dark purple cones on juniper trees and shrubs grow among the needle-like foliage. The colorful cones give juniper trees an appealing quality in garden landscapes where they stay on the tree or shrub throughout the year.

What are juniper cones made of?

Juniper tree cones are unusual compared to other conifers. The modified cones are made up of tiny scales that don’t become woody like pine cones. Instead, the scales stay fleshy and eventually fuse and develop into “berries.”

How big do juniper leaves get?

Sharp, prickly needle leaves identify immature juniper trees and shrubs and typically grow in whorls of three and measure 0.2 – 1” (0.5 – 2.5 cm). In addition, mature junipers have soft scale leaves that look more like arborvitae tree leaves.

What is the name of the tree with flattened spray foliage growing on pendulous branches?

Juniper identification: The weeping Mexican juniper is the only specimen tree with flattened spray foliage growing on pendulous branches.

Where do junipers grow?

Native to the cool, temperature climates of the northern hemisphere, common junipers (Juniperus communis) have a nearly complete circumpolar distribution - occurring naturally throughout parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. This makes the common juniper one of the most widely distributed shrubs in the world.

How cold can junipers get?

At their maximum, common junipers can withstand winter temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius (or -49 degrees Fahrenheit), and may frequently experience summer temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius (or 80 degrees Fahrenheit). Common junipers grow well in USDA zones 2 through 7.

What are the common diseases of junipers?

Watch out for diseases such as juniper blight, twig blight, and cedar apple rust - all of which can be handled with prompt and aggressive pruning. Common pests of the common juniper include bagworms, juniper scale, aphids, and more.

What color are juniper leaves?

They are characterized by needle-like, aromatic leaves and berry-like green cones that turn a deep purple/blue as they ripen. Common junipers have many different practical uses. In their native regions, the berries are enjoyed by many different species of birds and wildlife and are utilized by humans too.

What are the pests that eat juniper?

Common pests of the common juniper include bagworms, juniper scale, aphids, and more. Checking the shrub over semi-annually for signs of pests and using an insecticide when needed should keep any major infestations under control. Read More.

How tall is a common juniper?

These hardy conifers are variable in form, typically depending on where they are located. They range from a tall, tree-like form that can reach up to 50 feet tall, ...

How long do juniper seeds need to be kept in airtight container?

Common juniper seeds require cold- stratification in order to germinate and must be kept in an airtight container at 20-40 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 120 days prior to planting.

What is the best juniper for Zone 9?

Bar Harbor juniper ( Juniperus horizontalis ‘Bar Harbor’) is among the most popular short juniper plants for zone 9. It’s great for ornamental ground cover with blue-green foliage that turns purple in winter. If you prefer that your zone 9 junipers have silvery foliage, consider Youngstown juniper. ( Juniperus horizontalis ‘Plumo’).

What is the best size juniper for a garden?

Medium size juniper shrubs, about knee-height, are good foundation plants, while tall and extra-tall types of juniper make good screens, windbreaks or specimens in your garden.

What is a juniper plant?

Juniper ( Juniperus spp), with its feathery evergreen foliage, can work well in the garden in various capacities: as a groundcover, a privacy screen or a specimen plant. If you live in a warmer region like zone 9, you’ll still find many types of junipers to plant.

How tall are junipers?

The types available in commerce range from low-growing junipers (about ankle height) to upright specimens as tall as trees. Short types of juniper serve well as groundcover and also offer erosion control on slopes. Medium size juniper shrubs, about knee-height, are good foundation plants, while tall and extra-tall types ...

What zone do juniper plants grow in?

You’ll find many types of juniper plants for zone 9. In fact, most junipers qualify as zone 9 junipers. When you want to start growing juniper in zone 9, you’ll have to make some difficult choices between excellent plants.

How tall does an alligator juniper tree get?

It grows up to 60 feet (18 m.) high.

How tall does a juniper grow in Zone 9?

You’ll have many to choose between. For example, California juniper ( Juniperus californica) grows to about 15 feet (4.6 m. ) tall. Its foliage is blue green and very drought resistant.

What is the name of the tree that grows on rocky cliffs?

The Greek juniper is a large shrub or tree that is often found growing alongside the stinking juniper ( Juniperus foetidissima)— a species with a similar appearance but which is lighter green. These hardy trees can even grow on the sides of rocky cliffs. Like many junipers, the leaves on juvenile Greek junipers are needles that become flattened scales as the tree matures. The foliage is gray-green, and the trunks can be quite massive—up to 6 feet in diameter. The cones on female trees are purple-blue berries.

What is the name of the plant that makes gin?

It is generally the female plants that produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. The berry/cones of the common juniper ( Juniperus communis) provide the flavoring for gin.

Why is a juniper drooping?

Drooping juniper gets its name because of the way that the branchlets droop down. As juveniles, these upright trees have needle-like leaves that become flattened scales in the mature plants. This tree has a reddish-brown or gray bark that sheds in strips and the cones are greenish berries that mature into purplish-brown.

Why is a juniper tree called a drooping juniper?

Drooping juniper gets its name because of the way that the branchlets droop down. As juveniles, these upright trees have needle-like leaves that become flattened scales in the mature plants. This tree has a reddish-brown or gray bark that sheds in strips and the cones are greenish berries that mature into purplish-brown.

What is a red cedar tree?

Red cedar is a form of juniper that is especially fragrant, a quality that is sometimes used to repel insects (the wood is often used in cedar chests). This is an upright tree with dark blue-green scale-like foliage. The bark is gray to reddish-brown and often shreds in vertical strips; the trunk is sometimes fluted at the bottom. It is used as a specimen tree or in large screen plantings. Do not plant this tree near apple trees, as it is a host to cedar-apple rust fungus. Unlike many junipers, this tree has a fairly good tolerance for moisture, though it does not like to soak in boggy soil.

What is a Chinese Juniper?

One variety of the Chinese juniper ('Toruloso') is known as the Hollywood juniper. As it matures it creates an intriguing twisted form that works well as a specimen plant. There are many other varieties composed of different shapes and colors. The leaves on Chinese juniper are needle-like when the plants are young, but assume the shape of scales as the plant matures. This is one of the junipers with good tolerance for urban conditions, but it does not like wet soils.

What family is Juniper?

The junipers include roughly 60 different species of trees and shrubs in the Juniperus genus, within the cypress ( Cupressaceae) family of plants. Although come junipers use the work cedar in their common names, these plants are not members of the Cedrus genus. The leaves of these evergreen conifers usually take the form ...

What is the most widely planted juniper?

Pfitzer juniper ( J. chinensis ‘Pfitzerana’) is probably the most widely planted of all junipers. It is a fast grower and often outgrows its location (5 feet high and 10 feet wide). It has feathery, gray-green, sharp needles and small berries. The sexes are separate.

How tall do junipers get?

Junipers grow from 4 inches to 50 feet tall with a spread from 6 to 20 feet depending on the species.

How tall does a mint julep grow?

Mint Julep ( J. chinensis ‘Mint Julep’) has mint green foliage and is a vase-shaped shrub, which grows up to 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

What are the diseases that eat juniper?

Junipers are subject to a number of pests and diseases. Among the most serious pests are bag worms (foliage is stripped), twig borers (browning and dying branch tips), juniper scale (no new growth and yellowed foliage), and juniper webworm (webbing together and browning of the foliage). Fungal diseases, which may occur on juniper, ...

What is a Chinese Juniper?

Chinese juniper “berries” and foliage. Junipers ( Juniperus species) are evergreen coniferous plants with fleshy cones and needlelike or scale-like leaves. They are very popular woody plants because there is a form for almost every landscape use.

How big is a Hollywood Juniper?

Hollywood juniper ( J. chinensis ‘Kaizuka’) is an irregular, upright shrub, 20 feet high by 10 feet wide, which tolerates salt spray. The branches have a twisted appearance. Give this shrub plenty of room.

How tall is a Hetz Chinese Juniper?

Hetz Chinese juniper ( J. chinensis ‘Hetzii’) grows 15 feet tall and wide with blue-gray needles and branches that spread outward and upward at 45-degree angles. This is a fast- grower.