Juniperus, a superb conifer

Juniper

Juniperus is a very cute little conifer that is also called common juniper.

Key Juniperus facts

NameJuniperus
Family – Cupressaceae
Type – conifer

Exposure – full sun or part sun
Soil – well drained, ordinary
Foliage – evergreen

Flowering – spring

Caring for it, from planting to pruning is easy and the ornamental impact is guaranteed.

Planting juniperus

Juniperus is ideally planted in fall to ensure root growth and thus proper settling in in spring.

However, you can also plant in spring and water a bit more at the beginning.

Note that juniperus tolerates virtually all types of soil, and behaves exactly the same whether conditions are moist or during a full-blown drought. But it does require soil that is well drained where water won’t stagnate.

Care and pruning of juniperus

Juniperus plantingCaring for juniperus is very easy because it requires practically no care.

Pruning isn’t really recommended, especially since much of the appeal of a juniperus bush is its distinctive bearing, sometimes spiking up in a column, sometimes spreading along the ground.

If you must prune it , do so at the beginning of summer and avoid cutting too near the trunk, and prefer light pruning instead of cutting back severely.

Learn more about juniperus

This is a conifer that adapts equally well to growing in the ground as it does to growing in a garden box on a terrace or balcony.

Sought after for its dense foliage and beautiful bark, juniperus appeals to many in that it has an extremely high tolerance to all types of soil and pollution.

With a great many cultivars and species, there is a wide range of different shapes and leaves for all to choose from to decorate along edges, on rocky ground, to cover the ground or to garner a garden box on a terrace if possible.

Smart tip about juniperus

Juniperus has very slow growth, don’t count on this if you wish to quickly cut off neighborly prying eyes.

You might consider that this is truly a purely ornamental conifer.

Juniperus with berries


Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Juniper branches by Rosalyn & Gaspard Lorthiois, own work
Berries turned brown by Prema Purna under Pixabay license
Shrub as a whole by Rosalyn & Gaspard Lorthiois, own work