Juniper Landscape Plants

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper

• Blue Pacific Shore juniper (Juniperus conferta 'Blue Pacific') is a ground cover that grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 10. This low-maintenance plant spreads to 8 feet wide in full to partial sun. The dense thicket of branches reaches 12 inches in height covered with aromatic 1/2-inch-long needles. These blue-green needles are soft to the touch, but have sharp points. Mature Blue Pacific Shore junipers produce small cones on their cascading branches. This juniper variety is commonly planted at the edges of planters and retaining walls, or used on steep slopes where mowing is difficult.

Daub's Frosted Juniper

• Daub's Frosted juniper (Juniperus media 'Daub's Frosted') is a shrub with bright two-toned needles. New needles are golden-yellow while old needles are a bluish-green. This juniper is used as an accent bush in USDA zones 4 to 8. The shrub reaches 2 feet tall and spreads 6 feet wide filling drab sites with color. Daub's Frosted juniper shrubs are drought tolerant once they establish their roots and are useful for erosion control. This juniper grows well around landscape boulders and other rock features.

Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper

• Dwarf Japanese garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens 'Nana') is a narrow-leaved ground cover used in USDA zones 4 to 8. This prostrate juniper prefers full to partial sun exposure with dry soil conditions and grows 6 to 12 inches tall, spreading 5 feet wide. The branches tangle together forming a dense mat of bluish-green needles, which develop a purplish hue in the winter. Dwarf Japanese garden juniper is used as a decorative feature on retaining walls or growing on steep slopes.

Hollywood Juniper

• Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa') is a large shrub reaching 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide in plant zones 5 to 9. This evergreen shrub has a twisted upright form with vivid green needles that is attractive when planted against light-colored buildings. Hollywood juniper shrubs lend an informal artistic look to the landscape when planted in locations with full sun exposure. This juniper is heat, wind and salt tolerant, and used in Mediterranean-style gardens.

Skyrocket Juniper

• Skyrocket juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket') is a coniferous, upright landscaping juniper that is good for locations in full or partial sun and dry conditions. This tree reaches 14 feet tall, but retains a 2-foot narrow column form. The silvery blue needles cover the branches, which stay close to the tree's trunk. Skyrocket juniper is used for privacy screens in areas where there is no space for a wider tree or shrub variety.