Juniper Crops for Hillside Landscaping
March 5, 2018
Juniper (Juniperus spp.) crops range widely in size and type. From simple âutilityâ floor addresses to shrubs and trees with ornamental berries and needle- or scale-shaped foliage, these tough, drought-tolerant evergreens consider the rigors of hill-side developing with simplicity and appeal. Ground covering drape slopes that are junipers with ever-green texture; trees and shrubs offer anchoring accents. Junipers need no or little watering in many situations, and they are usually ignored by deer.
Ground Protect Junipers
Chinese junipers (J. chinesis) and horizontal junipers (J. horizontalis) prosper in Sunset’s Environment Zones 1 through 24. Chinese juniper âParsonsiiâ grows gradually to TO AT LEAST ONE 1/2 feet tall and 8-feet broad, its flat branches supporting clean, blue green foliage that darkens with age. âSan Joseâ ultimately reaches 2 feet high and 6 feet wide with dark, sage green, needle- and scale-type foliage. Horizontal juniper âBar Harborâ matures quickly to TO AT LEAST ONE foot tall and as much as 10-feet wide with feathery bluish-grey leafage that purples in cold temperatures. âBlue Chipâ and âHughesâ have silvery-blue foliage; equally ultimately reach 1 foot-tall and 6 to 8-feet broad. Hughes is particularly showy.
Juniper Shrubs
Several juniper shrubs offer visible dimension in hill-side plantinga. âSea Greenâ is a compact shrub to 5 feet tall and broad, with deep-green arching branches. âMint Julepâ shows mint-green foliage. âKaizukaâ and âKaizuka Variegated,â identified also as Hollywood junipers, are particularly difficult crops, achieving up to 15 feet high with twisted, up right types. The the size-kind foliage is a deep-green with creamy-white edges accenting the selection that is variegated. âGold Coastline,â at only 4-feet high and broad, makes a a tight, golden-yellow accent.
Juniper Trees
Specimen trees anchor the hill-side landscape visually and physically. The California juniper (J. californica) is a desert indigenous that succeeds in Zones 3, 6 to 12, and 14 through 24, reaching a peak and width of 40-feet, with yellow to rich green foliage. Weeping junipers (J. scopulorum) make striking specimen trees in Zones 1 through 24. Graceful, drooping foliage âweepsâ from trees that ultimately reach 20-feet high and 10-feet broad. âTolleson’s Blueâ and âTolleson’s Greenâ vary only in foliage colour.
Juniper Treatment and Cautions
Full sunlight is preferred by junipers, with a few shade in the latest ranges. They thrive in almost any well-drained soil no matter pH. Junipers in mild, quick-draining soil might need some water, particularly in warm climes. Junipers are susceptible to root-rot in websites that are water-logged. Juniper blight, aphids, twig borers and Spider mites are issues that are possible; crops perform best in well-ventilated circumstances. Volatile oils in juniper crops make them burn up easily in fires; prevent massed plantings near buildings.