Unlike southern and tropical regions, in northern latitudes conifers have a special place in the garden landscape - in the off-season and winter only they are able to enliven the garden with their colors. Evergreen conifers are usually the “soloists of the garden” due to the rich color of their needles, ranging from dark emerald to silver-gray and golden. Junipers are no exception, having a wide range of crown shades and successfully complementing the “all-season” garden - a garden designed to be attractive at any time of the year. Planting and caring for juniper is not an easy process - knowledge of the nuances allows you to grow a highly decorative conifer that fits favorably into the landscape design.
Spherical, pyramidal, cone-shaped, weeping or creeping - the shape of the juniper crown can be any, which expands the possibilities of landscape design in the formation of compositions that are expressive in their geometry. By combining only conifers, you can compose original garden, bright in originality and style: landscape or regular, avant-garde or classical, ethnic or modernist.
A rock garden created using a combination of juniper and other types of conifers will look advantageous at any time of the year
Coniferous plants add value to the garden, creating a calm and elegant landscape. Large cone-shaped or columnar junipers will be good in single or group planting, acting as the center of a landscape composition. A single juniper looks striking. A single large plant is always dominant in garden design, which it is advisable to surround with smaller plants.
Group planting scaly juniper Loderi variety with its cone-shaped crown will advantageously complement the rockery composition
Junipers with a geometric crown look good in gardens with a regular layout, creating vantage points and emphasizing the regularity of the outlines of flower beds. In landscape gardens, cone-shaped and spherical junipers perfectly coexist with less “official” perennial plants, and spreading varieties will add expressiveness to the border or pond.
They are often used in planting hedges (molded, free-growing) and mixborders, designing the foreground of alpine slides and ridges, and delineating the boundaries of lawns or flower beds.
Coniferous plants in landscape design can be used in other ways:
By combining molded and unshaped junipers with an exotic crown, you can create a spectacular rock garden
Dwarf junipers in the form of compact bonsai and topiary are indispensable when planting a garden in oriental style– they will advantageously decorate a rocky composition and branching paths, combining advantageously with ground cover and low-growing plants: saxifrage, loosestrife, sedum, carnations, phlox and grasses.
Junipers with beautiful color crowns:
The spectacular crown of junipers does not require frequent pruning, but varieties growing in the form of a hedge are trimmed regularly: in mid-summer and spring, removing dry and some lateral branches that protrude beyond the formed crown. If the juniper grows in the garden like a bonsai, then pruning is done in April-May and October-November.
When choosing a type of juniper for planting in the garden, you must have complete information about its characteristics: winter hardiness, size of the plant as an adult, shape and color of the crown, growing conditions and care. Junipers, which are brought to us from Western European nurseries, can be both quite resistant to the harsh winters characteristic of central Russia, and non-winter-resistant, successfully growing without shelter only in the southern regions.
After purchasing a new coniferous plant (even a frost-resistant one), experienced gardeners recommend covering it for the first winter with spruce branches or burlap, tying up the branches to avoid sunburn of the needles and damage to the crown from snow.
Juniper medium Gold varieties Costa, with golden needles, contrasts expressively with more emerald greenery
Employees of the Russian botanical gardens have identified juniper varieties suitable and unsuitable for cultivation in domestic latitudes.
Winter-hardy species of juniper (Juniperus):
Non-winter-hardy types of juniper:
Successful rooting and growth of juniper largely depends on the quality of the purchased seedlings. When purchasing planting material, you should pay attention to the following points:
When choosing a juniper, do not be lazy to look at its coniferous neighbors. The most beautiful are:
Junipers with an open root system are planted in early spring or autumn, and seedlings with an earthen ball - throughout the entire period from spring to autumn. For the northern regions, planting in the spring is optimal - this way the seedling will have time to take root in order to more successfully survive the winter.
By combining junipers with different colored needles, you can form a hedge that is unusual in color and shape.
Due to their decorative properties, junipers - good choice for a young garden, when a group of several conifers can immediately after planting fill the voids in the landscape and form an attractive composition. To plant light-loving junipers, select an open, well-lit garden area with loamy or sandy loamy light soil - nutritious and sufficiently moist.
A living molded hedge made of silver-blue juniper will become a striking element of the garden landscape design
If the soil is clayey and heavy, then a mixture of garden soil, peat, sand and coniferous soil is added to the planting hole ( loose soil with needles, collected under spruce or pine trees in the forest). In this case, the soil is pre-drained by pouring it into the bottom of the planting hole. broken brick or sand. Junipers grow well on thin soils and can easily tolerate drought, but stagnation of moisture in the soil is detrimental to them.
The most successful soil mixture for planting juniper is: 2 parts turf soil, 2 parts humus, 2 parts peat, 1 part sand. It is also advisable to add 150 g of Kemira-station wagon and 300 g of nitrophoska to the mixture, as well as Epin after planting (for optimal survival) for each seedling.
Horizontal junipers with a flattened crown fit well into the design of the area near the pond
The dimensions of the planting hole depend on the size of the juniper root system, for example, for large species they dig a hole of about 60x80 cm. The plant is planted quickly so that the root system does not have time to dry out, but carefully so as not to damage the earth ball or young roots. After planting in open ground, the juniper is watered abundantly and protected from direct sunlight.
The density of juniper placement on the site depends on the landscape composition - will it be hedge, soliter or group planting. For junipers, the distance between seedlings when planting is selected in the range from 0.5 to 2 m. For a small garden, it is better to choose compact types of juniper.
Material on creation will also be useful coniferous compositions in garden landscape design:
When collecting juniper seeds for sowing, it is important to observe time intervals - it is better to prepare not quite ripened seeds at the end of summer than to prepare fully ripe ones in the fall. This will make germination more likely. The collected planting material must be sown immediately, but you need to be prepared for the fact that, due to the hard shell, the juniper seeds will sprout only 2-3 years after sowing.
Group planting of Chinese juniper will enliven the garden in the off-season and winter
You can plant a juniper dug up in the forest on the site, having previously marked on its trunk the orientation according to the parts of the world in order to maximally imitate the characteristics of its growth in the natural environment when transplanting. The lump of “native” land should be large, with preserved top layer humus.
Provided that you select juniper varieties that are resistant to domestic climatic conditions, care for young plants is minimal - junipers are almost never sick or affected by pests, and do not require intensive feeding and spraying. In the future, it is enough just to provide watering for the juniper in dry years and support it 2-3 times per season with nitrogen or complex fertilizers.
Different varieties of junipers have differently colored needles, but the needles of a bluish-blue hue look especially beautiful
Under no circumstances should you fertilize conifers with bird or cow humus - this will cause the juniper roots to burn and the plant to die. Also, you cannot loosen the soil around junipers - due to the fact that the root system of conifers belongs to the surface type, the nutrition of the trunk will deteriorate and the plant will begin to wither. For juniper, it is enough to mulch the soil with coniferous soil harvested from the forest.
IN winter time The formed crowns of junipers may fall apart under the weight of snow, and some branches may break. To avoid such troubles, the crowns of formed junipers are tied in advance in the fall. Certain types of junipers are sensitive to changes in day and night temperatures in early spring, active winter and spring sun and require shelter in February-March. Burns of needles lead to a change in the green color of the crown of conifers to a brown-yellow hue and, consequently, to the loss of the decorative appearance of the juniper.
Horizontal juniper variety Plumosa acts as a ground cover plant for rock gardens
If the buds of the conifer remain alive during a sunburn, then the young shoots gradually cover the burned areas, but if the buds are dead, then the frost-damaged branches must be cut back to healthy wood and treated with garden varnish.
In order for juniper needles to remain bright in winter, the plant must be regularly watered, fertilized in the spring and late summer with granular bait, and the needles must be sprayed with microfertilizers.
Gardeners practice the following types of juniper shelter for the winter:
Lutrasil is not suitable for covering juniper - it allows the sun's rays to pass through, and it is not entirely suitable for covering cardboard boxes. According to the experience of gardeners, metallized insulation used for laying laminate flooring is excellent as a shelter for conifers. To do this, in October (while the ground is not yet frozen), pegs are driven around the juniper, and the plant is wrapped with the substrate itself in November.
Horizontal juniper Bar Harbor with a rounded crown effectively complemented the solitary planting of deciduous trees
Frost-resistant types of juniper that do not burn in the sun: Cossack, medium varieties (Hetzi, Old Gold, Mint Julep), Chinese Gold Star, Pendula and Pfitzeriana varieties. Subspecies of common juniper burn severely in the winter and spring sun.
Cossack juniper is one of the most frost-resistant varieties, ideal for planting in central Russia
Columnar juniper Hiberica acts as a focal point in the flowerbed
You can combine several types of juniper in a flowerbed: rocky, horizontal, Chinese - any combination will be successful
1. Thuja occidentalis “Holmstrup”. 2. Thunberg's Barberry "Red Chief". 3. Mountain pine “Mops”. 4. Medium juniper “Old Gold”. 5. Cossack juniper “Tamariscifolia”. 6. Ground cover perennials (bryozoan, sedum)
1. Rock juniper “Blue Arrow”. 2. Molded rock juniper “Skyrocket”. 3. Molded scaly juniper “Meyeri”. 4. Mountain pine “Mops”. 5. Horizontal juniper “Blue Chip”. 6. Juniper leaning “Nana”
1. Chinese juniper “Blaauw” or “Blue Alps”. 2. Thuja occidentalis “Stolwijk” or “Rheingold”. 3. Thuja orientalis “Aurea Nana”. 4. Canadian spruce “Conica”. 5. Thuja occidentalis “Tiny Tim” or “Little Champion”. 6. Mountain pine “Gnom”. 7. Prickly spruce “Glauca Globosa” or European spruce “Nidiformis”. 8. Horizontal juniper “Blue Chip” or “Prince of Wales”. 9. Juniperus horizontalis "Wiltonii". 10. Dummer cotoneaster. 11. Ground cover roses. 12. Flowers: petunia, awl-shaped phlox, aubrieta, thyme, verbena. 13. Spiraea "Snowmound"
Juniper with an original crown plays the role of an accent on an alpine hill
1. Molded Cossack juniper. 2. Siebold's sedum. 3. Sedum is caustic. 4. Dwarf iris. 5. Garden iris (bearded, medium-sized). 6. Primrose aurica. 7. Iberis evergreen. 8. Turfy meadow. 9. Hybrid rejuvenated. 10. Soddy saxifrage. 11. Muscari crested. 12. Bellflower
The decorative effect of planting junipers significantly depends on the correctly selected variety - its dimensions, taking into account its growth, crown shape, color and texture of the needles. Varieties belonging to the same type of juniper can differ significantly in their external characteristics - this is also worth taking into account.
Juniper scaly:
Juniper medium:
Red cedar:
Juniper horizontal:
Chinese juniper:
Rock juniper Skyrocket. Height 3 m, diameter 0.7 m. Annual growth 10-20 cm. Pyramidal crown with short bluish-green needles. Vertical accent in rock gardens, alley plantings, on lawns, in contrasting compositions and hedges.
Common juniper Hibernica. Height 3-5 m, diameter 1-1.2 m. Columnar crown with bluish-steel prickly needles. Tapeworm on lawns, group plantings and compositions with deciduous trees.
Cossack juniper. Height 1 m, diameter 2 m. Spreading crown with grassy-green needles. Hedges, single and group plantings.
The variety of colors and shapes of junipers allows you to create spectacular landscape compositions, combining them with other coniferous and deciduous species of shrubs or trees, as well as flowers and other garden plants.
The genus Juniper has 71 species. 12 of them grow in wild plantings in Russia and neighboring countries:
The remaining varieties of juniper are not found in natural plantings, but due to their decorative qualities they are actively cultivated for landscaping garden plots and creating landscape compositions.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is often called forest juniper. This dioecious (less often monoecious) plant is found mainly in Europe, Asia, North America - countries of the Northern Hemisphere with a temperate climate. This species is also common in North Africa, Pakistan and Nepal. On the territory of Russia, forest juniper grows in Western Siberia(sometimes found in Eastern Siberia). It grows mainly on dry hills, limestone, along river banks and in pine forest undergrowth, as well as in mixed forests. Quite rarely, this type of juniper, photos of which are presented on this page, settles in swamps. Prefers sandy soils, excessive moisture is contraindicated for these plants.
Forest juniper, the average size of which reaches 3 m in height, has an ovoid or cone-shaped crown. In males the crown is narrow, in females it is wide and spread out. The bark is grayish-brown or dark gray, flaky. The shoots mainly have a red-brown tint. The triangular, pointed leaves are arranged in a ring shape, reaching 1-1.5 cm in length, with a whitish strip running through the middle of the leaf. The male cones of Juniperus communis are yellowish in color and almost sessile. Female cones are pale green and become black and blue with a blue tinge when ripe. Cone berries ripen in the second or third year and have 1-2 conical, yellow-brown seeds.
One of the cultural forms is pyramidal juniper. The branches of these trees with a narrow crown start almost from the ground and are tightly pressed to the trunk. The needles are short, soft, dark green. The plants resemble cypress trees in appearance and have a wide decorative use. Juniper pyramidal, like most plants of this species, is light-loving and easily tolerates slight shading. Very undemanding to soil fertility and grows well on limestone and sandstone. It is quite frost-resistant and tolerates molding well. Looks great both in single and group plantings.
Used as an ornamental garden plant. Thanks to its extended root system, it holds the soil well, so it is used as protection for slopes. The wood of the plants is reddish, has a pleasant smell, but has no industrial value. Due to the small size of the trees, the wood is used only for making canes, small parts and toys. Dry distillation produces juniper oil, the resin is used to make white varnish. Forest juniper cones are used in brewing and the alcoholic beverage industry (in the production of gin and juniper vodka). The fruits of this plant are also included in many spicy mixtures for making sauces and sweets.
One of the rare species is rock juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). This is a dioecious shrub or tree of medium size, reaching 5 m in height with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. The irregularly spherical crown begins almost from the very base, tetrahedral young shoots have a bluish-green color. The leaves of rock juniper are ovate-rhombic, scale-like, with a blunt tip. Dark blue, with a bluish coating, the cones reach 4-6 mm in diameter and ripen at the end of the second year. Inside the cone berries are two reddish-brown, ribbed seeds.
Juniperus scopulorum should be planted in light, wind-protected areas. The annual growth is up to 12 cm. In the shade, the crown of rock juniper becomes bare, and the tree loses its decorative qualities. The cold tolerance of this species is low, snowy winters tree branches may break off. This species grows especially well in areas where annual precipitation is 150-200 mm. It has cultivars with a pyramidal crown and blue needles.
Red or prickly juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) is a dioecious plant reaching 5-10 m in height. The crown is ovoid-cone-shaped, sometimes umbrella-shaped in old trees, reaching 1 m in diameter. The bark is smooth, light gray; young shoots have reddish or yellowish-brown bark. The branches are straight, triangular, widely spread. Leaves with two longitudinal stripes reach 20 mm in length and a width of 1.5-2 mm. The fruits are solitary, spherical, tightly seated on the branches, ranging in size from 5 to 12 mm, of a bright red-brown color. There are usually 2-3 seeds in a cone; they have a triangular, ovoid shape.
The distribution area of red juniper is the entire territory of the Mediterranean, the northern border reaches the south of France. Often found in Crimea and Transcaucasia, in natural conditions grows at altitudes up to 300-400 m, often on rocks and rocky slopes. Plants of this species are heat-loving and drought-resistant. Their wood is very durable, heavy, reddish in color with white sapwood, very resistant to rotting, and therefore is widely used as a building and ornamental material.
Red juniper fruits contain 1.5% essential oil and are an excellent diuretic. Dry distillation produces juniper oil, which is used as a medicinal preparation for skin diseases, in the production of certain cosmetics, and as an anthelmintic.
The varieties common in the Crimea are called Crimean junipers. These relict plants are extremely popular among tourists, because about them medicinal properties known since ancient times.
The needles and berries of juniper trees contain essential oils with a tart aroma that have a detrimental effect on pathogens. One hectare of juniper plantings releases up to 30 kg of phytoncides per day, which are destructive to bacteria. Once in the bronchi and lungs, phytoncides have an anti-inflammatory effect; staying in such forests is very useful for asthmatics and people with chronic bronchitis. These trees purify the air five times more efficiently than Crimean pines.
There are especially many juniper forests in the mountains of Bakhchisarai. While inhaling the aroma of these trees, the functioning of the nervous system normalizes, stress arousal decreases, mood improves, headaches subside, and arterial pressure, shortness of breath decreases, sleep normalizes and overall immunity strengthens. It has been noticed that after a walk through the juniper grove, appetite increases, and tea with the berries of this plant improves digestion and enhances kidney function.
Many trees and shrubs of this species have bluish needles, which is why they are sometimes called blue junipers. For efficient cultivation For these plants, a number of conditions must be met.
Blue juniper grows vigorously in well-lit areas, but does not tolerate prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Trees with bluish needles are quite frost-resistant and prefer fertile, well-drained soil. When replanting plants, it follows that the root system of blue juniper is highly intertwined, so care must be taken to avoid damaging the small roots. This species does not tolerate dry air well and requires regular spraying of the crown and moistening the soil. Dry branches should be trimmed with pruning shears.
Creeping juniper, a small form widespread in Ireland, is often used in ornamental plantings. These low-growing plants reach up to 50 cm in height, the diameter of the crown does not exceed 2 m. The needles of creeping juniper are very thick and prickly. The needles are usually light green, with silvery-white stripes.
Creeping juniper prefers light, well-drained soils and can grow on rocky surfaces. Quite drought-resistant, frost-resistant, light-loving, and tolerates light shading. These plants should be planted in open areas, 3 bushes per 1 m2. The needles of creeping species do not tolerate air pollution and dust, so it is necessary to resort to systematic spraying.
Columnar juniper got its name because of the strict, straight shape of the crown.
These tall trees widely used to create hedges.
Unlike creeping varieties, columnar plants are not too susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution, and therefore are suitable for growing in urban environments.
They grow most actively in open, sunny places and tolerate light partial shade.
Quite drought-resistant and does not tolerate stagnant moisture. In winter, it is advisable to tie the crown of columnar junipers so that the branches do not break under a layer of snow.
(Juniperus virginiana Hetz)
Juniperus virginiana Hetz is attractive with its spreading crown shape, gray-blue needles and a large number of spherical dark blue cones. Tolerates haircuts well. In especially snowy winters it can be broken by the weight of the snow cover, so it is recommended to tie the branches for the winter. It develops normally both in the sun and in partial shade. Does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. In landscape design it is used in rocky gardens, in single and group plantings.
(Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue)
Juniper horizontalis Ice Blue is an evergreen shrub with long creeping shoots forming a bluish-green carpet. The growth rate is slow. Drought resistant. Grows equally well in sun and partial shade. Winter-hardy. The plant is used as a ground cover, as well as in rock gardens and rocky slopes.
(Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compact)
Juniper horizontal Andorra Compact has a creeping form. Prefers fairly moist soils, but without stagnant water. Frost-resistant, light-loving. The growth rate is slow. Used in small gardens in group plantings, as well as in rock gardens and rockeries.
(Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta Variegata)
Juniper horizontal Andorra Compacta Variegata is an evergreen shrub with variegated needles. It is not picky about soil composition, light-loving, and frost-resistant. Looks great in composition with low-growing coniferous plants.
(Juniperus horizontalis Blue Forest)
Juniper horizontal Blue Forest is a creeping form with vertically raised shoots. It grows slowly. Unpretentious to soils. Prefers a sunny planting location or light partial shade. Has high winter hardiness. Despite this, shelter for the winter is recommended due to the fragility of the shoots from the weight of the snow. Looks great in rock gardens, rockeries and heather compositions.
(Juniperus horisontalis Blue Chip)
Juniper horizontal Blue Chip - creeping coniferous shrub, forming a dense carpet. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant, light-loving. Does not tolerate severe waterlogging. Looks great in rocky and heather gardens.
(Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii)
Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii can be grown as a ground cover plant or on vertical supports. This juniper is perfect for decorating slopes, ledges, and terraces. Photophilous, tolerates light partial shade, frost-resistant.
(Juniperus horizontalis Limeglow)
Limeglow horizontal juniper has golden-yellow needles that are not afraid of sunburn in the spring. Grows well in all types of soil. Frost-resistant. It is resistant to diseases and pests. Looks great in rocky gardens.
(Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales)
Juniper horizontalis Prince of Wales is a slow-growing coniferous shrub. Its crown is so dense that entire juniper lawns can be created using this species. Frost-resistant, shade-tolerant. In landscape design, this variety is popular as a ground cover plant for planting in rocky gardens, for creating juniper cover in the lower tiers of tree and shrub compositions.
(Juniperus sabina)
Cossack juniper is capable of growing in width. Grows on all types of soils. Photophilous, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Easily tolerates pruning. Decorative throughout the year. Suitable for planting in urban areas. Recommended for single and group plantings.
(Juniperus sabina Blaue Donau)
Juniper Cossack Blau Donau is a coniferous shrub with a wide, fire-like crown. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Resistant to urban conditions. Does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Recommended for large gardens and urban landscaping.
(Juniperus sabina Variegata)
Juniper Cossack Variegata is a dwarf variety of juniper with an original variegated color. It grows slowly. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Prefers sunny planting sites; in the shade the needles lose their decorative properties. Resistant to polluted urban conditions. Recommended for single and group plantings.
(Juniperus sabina Glauca)
Juniper Cossack Glauka is characterized by the ability to grow greatly in width and cover large areas. Grows on any soil. At a young age it grows slowly, then develops faster. Frost-resistant, light-loving, resistant to urban conditions. Recommended for strengthening slopes, landscaping cities and residential areas.
(Juniperus sabina Mas)
Juniper Cossack Mas is a frost-resistant coniferous shrub. It grows quite quickly in width. It is not picky about soils, but does not tolerate waterlogging. Prefers sunny planting locations or light partial shade. Decorative in single and group plantings in rocky gardens.
(Juniperus sabina Rockery Gem)
Cossack juniper Rockery Jam is a rather low coniferous shrub with a spread-out crown shape. The growth rate is fast. Prefers fertile and moist soils. Frost-resistant and light-loving. Used as a ground cover plant for alpine landscapes.
(Juniperus sabina Tamariscifolia)
Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia is widely used in landscape design. The growth rate is slow. Photophilous, frost-resistant and drought-resistant. Susceptible to rust and sawfly. Prefers a sunny planting location. Looks great in single and group plantings. Used to decorate rocky and heather gardens.
(Juniperus sabina Hicksii)
Cossack juniper Hixie is a coniferous shrub with a wide-spread crown. The growth rate is fast. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. Unpretentious to soils. Frost-resistant. Feels great in urban conditions. Used in alnaria and rockeries.
(Juniperus chinensis Blaauw)
Chinese juniper Blauw is a coniferous shrub with a dense crown and bonfire-shaped branches. The growth rate is slow. Not picky about soil composition, frost-resistant, light-loving, drought-resistant. Susceptible to rust and sawfly. Used in single and group plantings.
(Juniperus chinensis Blue Alps)
Chinese juniper Blue Alps is a fairly large coniferous shrub with silver-blue needles. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant, light-loving. Not picky about soil fertility. Used in compositions with other coniferous plants, goes well with large rose bushes.
(Juniperus chinensis Ketelerii)
Chinese juniper Keteleri is a narrow-columnar coniferous tree. Grows moderately quickly. Light-loving, tolerates partial shade, suitable for growing in urban conditions, frost-resistant. Low demands on soil fertility and moisture. Used singly, in groups, hedges.
(Juniperus chinensis Kuriwao Gold)
Chinese juniper Kurivao Gold is a medium-sized coniferous shrub with an unusual crown shape. It is not picky about soil fertility, prefers sunny planting locations, and is frost-resistant. During dry periods, sprinkling is necessary. This variety of juniper is widely used landscape designers when landscaping gardens in Japanese style. The shrub also looks great in rocky gardens.
(Juniperus chinensis Obelisk)
Chinese juniper Obelisk is a vigorous coniferous shrub, reaching three meters in height. The growth rate is fast. It remains decorative only in well-lit areas. Winter-hardy, undemanding to soils. Suitable for creating low alleys, as well as for use in rocky and heather gardens.
(Juniperus chinensis Plumosa Aurea)
Chinese juniper Plumosa Aurea is recognized as one of the best varieties with yellow colored needles. Light-loving, undemanding to soil composition. At a young age, it requires shelter in harsh winters, but over the years it becomes more frost-resistant. Burning in the spring sun. Used in group plantings, to create decorative tree and shrub groups, landscaping rockeries, rocky slopes.
(Juniperus chinensis Spartan)
Chinese juniper Spartan is a fast-growing variety, reaching three meters in height by the age of ten. Grows on any soil. Photophilous, wind-resistant, winter-hardy. In the shade it loses its decorative appearance, so its planting location should be sunny. May burn in the spring sun. Serves as a wonderful background for roses. It is used for landscaping rocky and heather gardens in single and group plantings.
(Juniperus chinensis Stricta)
Chinese juniper Stricta is a shrub with a narrow-nosed crown. It is unpretentious to growing conditions, undemanding to soil composition, and frost-resistant. Prefers sunny places for planting. Suitable for growing in containers. Looks great in heather gardens and rocky compositions.
(Juniperus chinensis Expansa Variegata)
Chinese juniper Expansa Variegata is one of the variegated varieties of juniper with numerous inclusions of soft cream color. The growth rate is slow. Unpretentious. Photophilous, frost-resistant, drought-resistant. Can be an excellent decoration for rocky gardens and oriental style gardens.
(Juniperus procumbens Nana)
Juniper recumbent Nana is a beautiful creeping variety of juniper with a very dense crown, forming a beautiful uniform carpet. Prefers moist, well-drained soils. Frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting location. Used as a ground cover plant and in the art of bonsai.
(Juniperus communis Arnold)
Juniperus common Arnold has a narrow columnar crown shape and low growth. Photophilous and frost-hardy. It grows slowly. Requires regular spraying during dry periods. Perfect for decorating an alpine hill, rocky, heather or Japanese garden, hedge.
(Juniperus communis Gold Cone)
Common juniper Gold Con has a columnar crown shape, turning into a cone at the very top. Its golden-yellow needles take on a bronze hue by winter. It grows slowly. Sun-loving and frost-hardy. Does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil. Does not tolerate transplantation well in adulthood. Burning in the spring sun. It is sensitive to snow pressure, so in winter it is recommended to tie the shoots to prevent them from bending. Used in landscaping city parks and countryside garden plots in single and group plantings.
(Juniperus communis Green Carpet)
Common juniper Green Carpet is a ground cover coniferous shrub. Its shoots creeping along the ground form a dense bluish-green carpet. The growth rate is average. Grows equally well in sunny and semi-shady places. Frost-resistant. Does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. An excellent choice for planting in rocky gardens and on slopes.
(Juniperus communis Meyer)
Common juniper Meyer is a tall coniferous shrub with a wide columnar crown. Thanks to its multi-vertical structure, this juniper variety looks fluffy. Grows well in sun and partial shade. It burns a little in the spring. Frost-resistant. It is undemanding to moisture and soil composition. Tolerates haircuts well. Used in rocky gardens, group or single plantings.
(Juniperus communis repanda)
Common juniper Repanda is a ground cover coniferous shrub with incredibly fluffy needles. Undemanding to soils. Light-loving, but tolerates light partial shade. Frost-resistant. During dry periods it requires artificial irrigation. An excellent choice for planting in rock gardens and on slopes.
(Juniperus communis Suecica)
Common juniper Suetsica is a dense coniferous shrub with a slender columnar crown shape. The growth rate is slow. The variety is unpretentious and frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting site; in the shade it becomes loose and spreading. Tolerates pruning well. Its slender shape allows you to create vertical lines in garden compositions. Widely used in single plantings and in groups.
(Juniperus communis Hibernica)
Common juniper Hibernika is a small coniferous tree with a dense columnar crown reminiscent of cypress. The growth rate is slow. It is undemanding to soil fertility. Light-loving, but suffers from spring sunburn. Drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Looks great in single and group plantings on the lawn, in small compositions.
(Juniperus conferta Schlager)
Coastal juniper Shlyager is a dwarf shrub with creeping shoots and very beautiful needles. The growth rate is slow. Shade-tolerant, but it is preferable to plant the plant in the sun. Looks great on rocky hills, in rockeries, in compositions with shrubs and herbaceous perennials.
(Juniperus scopulorum Blue Arrow)
Rock juniper Blue Arrow is a slow-growing coniferous shrub that forms a bright blue vertical in garden compositions. Thanks to its narrow crown, Blue Arrow juniper can be used in almost any garden, even in small gardens. Prefers sunny planting locations. It is frost-resistant, but in severe winters young shoots may freeze. In landscape design, the use of this type of juniper is very diverse. It is used in alley plantings, hedges, and also in compositions with other trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.
(Juniperus scopulorum Moonglow)
Juniper rock Moonglow is a pyramidal shrub with a wide silver-blue crown. Prefers a sunny planting location. Not picky about soil, drought-resistant. The variety is average in winter hardiness. Requires fixation of branches for the winter to avoid breaks and shelter from spring sunburn. Used as a vertical element in compositions, suitable for creating hedges.
(Juniperus scopulorum Skyrocket)
Rock juniper Skyrocket has a slender blue-green crown. The plant is light-loving, but tolerates partial shade. Frost resistance is average. Prefers dry soils. The growth rate is fast. In snowy winters, the crown cannot be broken, so gartering for the winter is recommended. Looks good in group plantings and in tree and shrub compositions.
(Juniperus chinensis (media) Pfitzeriana Aurea)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Aurea is a coniferous shrub with a wide, spreading crown. Unpretentious to soil composition. Resistant to urban conditions. Has high frost resistance. Prefers a sunny planting location. It grows wide, so it is not suitable for small rockeries or rock gardens. Used as a lower tier in large landscape parks and compositions.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Glauca)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Glauka is a large coniferous shrub with a spreading crown. Grows relatively slowly. Unpretentious to soil composition. Shade-tolerant, but it is preferable to plant the plant in the sun. Frost-resistant. Used in large gardens and city parks.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Gold Coast)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Gold Coast has a wide, spreading crown. Prefers a sunny planting site; in the shade the needles lose their golden-yellow color. Tolerates city conditions well. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant. Excellent as a tapeworm in the background lawn grass.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Gold Star)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Gold Star is a coniferous shrub with a spreading crown. The growth rate is average. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Used in single and group plantings on rocky hills and lawns. Can be used as a tapeworm, as well as in various decorative groups.
(Juniper media pfitzeriana Goldkissen)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Goldkissen is a slow-growing coniferous shrub. It becomes especially decorative in spring and early summer, when its needles acquire a golden color. Winter-hardy, drought-resistant, light-loving. Pairs well with decorative cereals and roses. Resistant to urban conditions. Used in group and single plantings, in landscape compositions.
(Juniperus pfitzeriana King of Spring)
Juniper Pfitzeriana King of Spring is a branched coniferous shrub that has the brightest spring color among the yellow-colored varieties. It grows slowly. Unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Tolerant to urban conditions. Looks great on rocky hills, rockeries, in compositions with shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Pfitzeriana Compacta)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Compacta is a coniferous shrub with a beautiful, open, dense crown of gray-green color with gracefully hanging tops. Low demands on soil fertility. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. It does not tolerate dry air, so additional sprinkling is recommended during dry periods. Shade-tolerant. Frost-resistant. Used in rocky gardens, in compositions with ornamental shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Mint Julep)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Mint Julep is one of the most popular varieties of juniper in landscape design. It has very bright green pine needles, which do not fade in winter. The shrub is unpretentious and grows quite quickly. There is no need to worry about its large size, as this is one of those juniper varieties that tolerate pruning well. The plant is also interesting because it can be modeled and molded. The height and width of the plant can be changed - for example, by pinning branches to the ground, the bush will become more spread out and low, and by creating a vertical support for it, it will begin to develop upward. Prefers a sunny or semi-shade planting location. Frost-resistant. It goes well with barberries, rhododendron, cotoneaster, dogwood and conifers. Beautiful plant for any garden.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Mordigan Gold)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Mordigan Gold is a low-growing spreading shrub with horizontally located shoots. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant. Prefers well-drained soils and sunny planting sites. Perfect for single and group plantings, rock gardens, rocky hills, and shrub compositions.
(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Old Gold)
Juniper Pfitzeriana Old Gold is a slow-growing coniferous shrub with a dense yellow-green crown. Not picky about soil fertility. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. Frost-resistant. Recommended for single and group plantings in rockeries, for use in tree and shrub compositions.
(Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet)
Juniper scaly Blue Carpet is a blue ground cover shrub. Frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting location. Does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Resistant to urban conditions. Tolerates haircuts well. One of the most spectacular varieties used in gardening and landscape design. Used as a ground cover plant on slopes, retaining walls. Suitable for container growing.
(Juniperus squamata Blue Star)
Juniper scaly Blue Star is a dwarf coniferous shrub with a cushion-shaped crown. Its needles are almost blue in color, and the pattern created by the needles resembles blue stars. It grows slowly. Not picky about soil composition. It grows slowly. Photophilous and frost-hardy. Recommended for single and group plantings, for rocky gardens, alpine slides, heather gardens, and for decorating slopes.
(Juniperus squamata Meyeri)
Juniper scaly Meyeri is a low-growing coniferous shrub, although when favorable conditions are created it can reach three meters in height. Photophilous and frost-hardy. Does not tolerate stagnant waterlogging. In especially snowy winters, the crown is likely to break, so planting in places where snow piles are possible is not recommended. The growth rate is slow. Looks great in single and group plantings, rock gardens, rock gardens, and heather landscapes.
(Juniperus squamata Holger)
Juniper scaly Holger has a very interesting color of needles - whitish-blue. Young shoots have a golden hue. The growth rate is moderately fast. Shade-tolerant. Frost-resistant. Like all junipers, it does not tolerate stagnant waterlogging. Resistant to urban conditions. Used in single and group plantings.
Junipers are coniferous evergreens that last years have reached the peak of popularity among decorative conifers. They are used to decorate almost every second area. And those gardeners who have not yet planted this shrub of the Cypress family would like to have it, but are afraid of difficulties in caring for it. The most beautiful of the species, blue junipers, are especially alarming. It is believed that it is more difficult to care for them than their green “brothers”, because they are more capricious and whimsical.
In fact, decorative junipers have green, light green, yellow, silver, variegated and blue needles. The variety of shapes and colors does not make this shrub more difficult to care for. The truth is that blue is the most beautiful of the shades, thanks to which the plant looks noble and majestic and serves as the best decoration for the site. Of course, as with other plants, before growing blue juniper, you need to know everything about the most popular varieties this species and the characteristics of their cultivation.
Why are juniper species with silvery-bluish needles considered the most popular?
Using blue junipers in design:
Blue juniper in landscape design
If you decide to plant blue juniper on your property, start by choosing the right variety. To do this, you need to find out which of these plants belong to the blue juniper species.
Among the blue junipers there are short and tall, spreading and with a compact crown, ground cover and erect.
Versatility of size and height various types blue junipers allows these plants to be used for various purposes, including cultivation indoors, in containers or in greenhouses.
If junipers with a blue crown are the most popular of the representatives of this type of conifer, then the Kazatsky juniper is the most popular of all. It includes almost twenty species. The best:
Tamariscifolia
The shrub grows one meter in height, the diameter of the crown is two meters. The branches are located at an angle of 40 degrees. The needles are prickly, blue with a slight silvering. This shrub seems to be covered with a light coating of sparkling frost at any time of the year.
Juniper Cossack Tamariscifolia
It looks best on rocky surfaces and is also used in rockeries, in combination with light stones.
Rockery Jam
This variety is dwarf. It grows to a maximum height of up to half a meter, but the diameter of the crown can reach five meters, since the plant is creeping. A very beautiful spreading bush seems to be adjacent to the ground. The needles are a blue-turquoise shade, very pleasing to the eye.
Juniper Cossack Rockery Jam
This “handsome” plant is used for solitary plantings on lawns, where it is simply irresistible.
Cupressifolia
Also a low-growing variety, it grows up to 0.6 m, but in terms of spreading it is far inferior to the Rockery Jam variety. The crown diameter is compact - up to one and a half meters.
Juniper Cossack Cupressifolia
The needles are blue-green, in the depths of the branches they have a blue tint. In addition to decorative properties, it has utilitarian properties - the shrub produces numerous, large, aromatic berries. Grown for rock gardens, artificial ponds and border planting.
Blue Danube
An evergreen lush shrub that grows up to 60 cm in height and can reach up to three meters in crown diameter. The ends of the lateral branches are raised. The gray-blue pointed needles are long, up to 6 mm. The needles may have a bluish coating.
All representatives of the Blue Danube variety have a specific smell that repels moths very well.
The berries are black-brown, covered with a bluish coating, up to 12 mm long, ripen annually, but are poisonous. The shrub is a creeping one and can withstand frosts of -40°C.
Juniper Cossack Blue Danub
It is ideal to grow it in a sunny area. The variety can be used as a background for flower beds and paths, a background for shrub compositions with flowers and decoratively colored foliage.
Varieties of this species with blue needles are most often used as groundcovers. They can become a spectacular backdrop for decorative deciduous and flowering shrubs and tall perennial flowers.
The most beautiful representatives:
Blue Chip
A low-growing creeping variety that grows in height up to 30 cm, with a crown width of an adult bush of two meters. The main shoots grow horizontally, and the side shoots are directed almost at a right angle upward. The needles have a steel-blue color. The bush looks very exotic. Can be used in rockeries and rocky gardens.
Juniper squamata Blue Chip
Blue Carpet
This version of blue juniper is ideal for decorating alpine slides. The maximum height reaches 30 cm, diameter – 1.5 meters. The crown is blue-gray, close to flat in shape.
Juniper scaly Blue Carpet
The variety is distinguished by its amazing undemandingness to climate conditions, but if the plant does not get sunlight, the needles become faded and uninteresting.
Blue Star
One of the most beloved and valuable blue varieties. It is valued for its delicate silver-blue needles and slow growth. The dome-shaped dense crown does not rise above 60 cm. In a year it grows only 5 cm. The bush can spread one and a half meters wide, but this will also take a lot of time.
Juniper scaly Blue Star
The plant prefers soils that are sufficiently moist, nutritious and located in sunny areas.
This variety is very good to grow in a container, as well as in mini-balcony compositions for decorating loggias, terraces and roofs.
This species is also called prostrate juniper. It includes more than 60 varieties, which are distinguished by needle-shaped needles, long creeping branches and numerous short creeping vegetative shoots. These shrubs are used to decorate plots, balconies, flower beds, rock gardens, in the form of low borders, on terraces and balconies as container and potted plants.
The best blue horizontal varieties include:
Wiltoni
A creeping creeping shrub that grows up to 20 cm in height and has a bush diameter of two meters. They brought him out back in 1914. And for more than a hundred years, its green-blue branches parallel to the ground have been growing, forming a dense soil cover and intertwining with each other in the shape of a bizarre star.
Juniperus horizontalis Viltoni
Blue Forest
A variety characterized by dense and compact needles and short skeletal branches. The lateral branches are structural, dense, adjacent, vertical. The color is intense blue. The shrub grows up to half a meter. Especially when skillfully formed, it gives a very beautiful, graceful crown.
Juniper horizontal Blue Forest
Bar Harbor
Creeping variety with dense needles. Since the branches are very prostrate, and the side shoots also spread to the sides, it can be used as a ground cover plant. It grows about 30 cm. After the first frost, the blue-gray needles acquire a purple tint. Used in the design of public parks, squares, and botanical gardens.
Juniper horizontal Bar Harbor
Ice Blue
A very low-growing creeping variety that grows in height no more than 10-15 cm. The width with age acquires about two meters, but this may take decades because the bush grows slowly. The side shoots are located almost vertically, with dense silver-blue needles, which become plum-colored by winter.
Juniper horizontalis Ice Blue
After listing and describing the most attractive blue juniper varieties, you need to learn how to care for them.
If you decide to plant one or more blue junipers on your property, you should start by purchasing good quality seedlings.
No one says that this can only be done in a nursery, but only there you can be guaranteed to purchase a seedling of the desired variety with a closed root system.
Before the purchase.
It is best to plant an evergreen purchase in a sunny area. They can grow in the shade, but they will probably lose the bright and original color of the needles, and the branches will become loose and sparse.
If several tall shrubs are planted, it is better to keep the distance between them about one and a half meters. The exception is a hedge, in which denser planting is allowed, with a distance of half a meter.
Preparing a hole for juniper
The depth of the hole should be from 40 to 60 cm, depending on the variety. A few days before the intended planting, the hole is filled 20 cm with a mixture of sand, peat and turf (proportion 1: 2: 1). Under the soil layer, a drainage layer of the same volume is poured, which consists of coarse sand or broken brick.
The plants are carefully, straightening their roots, planted in a planting hole on a layer of soil and covered with peat. After planting, abundant one-time watering.
The peculiarities of caring for blue junipers lie in the characteristics of their root system. It is horizontal and located close to the soil surface, so loosening the tree trunk circles should not be deeper than five centimeters. The most convenient option is not to loosen at all, but...
All junipers can hardly tolerate excess moisture. Therefore, watering must be controlled. In summer, it is enough to water the plants once a month. If the weather is very hot and dry, you can spray the crown with a spray bottle. In autumn and winter, you can do without watering altogether.
Pruning of junipers is recommended for sanitary purposes - once a year, in the spring. There are varieties that require formative pruning, but most blue junipers are not one of them.
In the spring, junipers need to be protected from sunburn, and in the winter they need to be insulated from frost and pressure from the snow cover, which can break off the branches.
Juniper plant in the photo
Decorative species of junipers both in garden plots and in Russian gardens are still relatively rare. And not at all because they are not worthy of due attention. On the contrary, judging by the description of juniper species, among coniferous species these trees are perhaps the most beautiful. They are distinguished by their varied shapes, graceful needles and decorative fruits.
In addition, it is unlikely that there will be another natural ozonizer of the air that purifies it from pests in a short time and within a considerable radius. It is not for nothing that there is an aura of benevolence and peace among junipers. This plant is rightfully medicinal.
The homeland of juniper is the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, less often - the mountains of the tropical part Central America, West Indies and East Africa. Juniper thickets live in the undergrowth of light-coniferous or light-leaved forests on sandy and even rocky mountain soils.
More than 20 species of juniper trees are known in Europe and Asia; no more than five or six are common in Russia. They are very different both in appearance and in biological requirements.
Juniper - evergreen coniferous plant, belonging to the Cypress family. These can be trees with a height of 12 to 30 m. There are also ornamental shrubs junipers - creeping (up to 40 cm in height) and erect (up to 1-3 m). The leaves (needles) of this plant are needle-shaped or scale-like.
Look at the photo to see what different types of juniper look like:
Juniper 
Juniper
The plant is monoecious or dioecious, depending on the species, age and environmental conditions. Male spikelets are yellowish with scaly stamens, female cones are berry-shaped, with a bluish coating, bearing 1-10 seeds. Flowering - in April-May. Cones usually ripen in the second year after flowering.
What do the roots of a juniper plant look like? Root system These trees and shrubs have a core structure, with developed lateral branching. Powerful roots are sometimes located in the upper soil horizon.
When describing the juniper tree, it is especially worth noting the strong coniferous smell emitted by these plants and due to the content of essential oils in the needles. Volatile substances have a pronounced phytoncidal effect. The pine smell kills microorganisms and repels insects, in particular mosquitoes.
The smell of juniper can improve the well-being of those suffering from angina pectoris and relieve insomnia. The beneficial role of sleeping pads with dry juniper bark and steam bath brooms, which relieve joint and neurological pain, is well known.
Branches of all types of coniferous juniper trees with live needles are popularly used to fumigate an infected room or simply freshen the air.
The berries of this plant are an excellent raw material for the confectionery, alcoholic beverage and perfume industries.
Common juniper in the photo
Common juniper- a plant in the form of a bush or tree (up to 12 m in height) with a cone-shaped crown.
Young shoots of this species are initially green, then reddish, bare, and round. The bark of the branches and trunks is grayish-brown, dark, scaly-flaky. The needles are in whorls of three, shiny, lanceolate-linear, 1-1.5 cm long, dark green or bluish-green with a hard, spiny tip.
The plant is dioecious. Male flowers are yellow spikelets consisting of shield-shaped scales with 4-6 anthers. Female ones - resemble green buds of three scales and three ovules. Blooms in May - June. It begins to bear fruit at the age of 5-10 years. Cone berries are single or several pieces, spherical, up to 10 mm in diameter.
As you can see in the photo of the juniper, the fruits of the tree in a mature state are dark blue with a bluish waxy coating:
Common juniper 
Common juniper
The berries have a resinous smell and a sweetish-pleasant taste. Contains up to 40% sugar. A bountiful harvest is repeated after 3-4 years. The cones are collected by shaking them onto a film or cloth spread under the plants and dried under a canopy.
This juniper is undemanding to soil, cold-resistant, and does not tolerate drought well. When transplanted without a clod of soil, it takes root with difficulty. It is propagated by seeds, which mature within 2-3 years and have an oblong shape and a brownish-brown color.
Known decorative forms common juniper:
Juniper "Pyramidal" in the photo
"Pyramidal" with a columnar crown,
"Pressed"- low-growing shrub with dense dark green needles,
"Horizontal"- a low creeping shrub, densely covered with blue-green needles, sharp and prickly.
Look at the photo of varieties of this type of juniper:
Juniper 
Juniper
These plants are propagated by cuttings and grafting. Common juniper and its decorative forms grow very slowly. They cannot tolerate excess salt in soils and often die when transplanted, which must be taken into account when growing them.
The medicinal properties of the common juniper were known and used in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and Rus'. It is a good diuretic, choleretic, expectorant and antimicrobial agent. And the North American Indians, for example, kept patients with tuberculosis in juniper thickets, not allowing them to leave until they fully recovered.
In the 17th century in Russia, oil and alcohol were made from juniper fruits. The latter was used to produce a special vodka, which was considered a reliable remedy for almost all diseases. The oil was used as an effective antiseptic in the treatment of wounds, burns, and frostbite.
The fruits of this juniper are used as a seasoning. They give a special forest aroma to dishes from poultry and game. The fruits are also used as a coffee substitute. They are still used to make jelly, marmalade, and syrup, which are added to jelly, confectionery and baked goods.
Common juniper cones contain essential oils and 20-25% glucose; they are not inferior in sugar content to grapes. They are used in medicine as a diuretic, in the liquor industry for the production of gin, and in the confectionery industry for the production of syrups. This type of juniper is widely used in homeopathy, as well as in Tibetan medicine.
Pay attention to the photo - this type of juniper in dachas and personal plots is used in single and group plantings, as well as for hedges:
Juniper in dachas and garden plots
The name of this type of juniper is more often heard than others, since it is the most studied and used as a medicinal plant.
In autumn, juniper fruits are harvested. They are aromatic, black-brown in color and have a sweet-spicy taste. Infusions and decoctions are prepared from them (1 tablespoon of crushed fruits per glass of water), which are prescribed as a diuretic and disinfectant for diseases of the kidneys, bladder, kidney stones and liver. Decoctions are also used for gout, rheumatism, arthritis, helping to remove mineral salts from the body.
Both berries and pine needles are used for external use - for skin diseases, gout, arthritis.
You can also be treated with fresh fruits, taking them only after consulting with your doctor, first 2-4 on an empty stomach, then increasing by 1 berry daily, up to 13-15, after which the dose is also gradually reduced to 5 pieces. Fruits are contraindicated in acute inflammatory processes in the kidneys.
Cossack juniper in the photo
Juniper Cossack- a low creeping shrub with recumbent or ascending branches covered with dense needles with a silvery tint.
Unlike the ordinary juniper, the Cossack juniper has poisonous berries. They are small, spherical, brown-black in color with a bluish coating and a very unpleasant odor.
By touching the ground, the plant's branches can take root. As it grows, juniper forms large clumps up to 3-4 m in diameter. This species is very drought-resistant, light-loving and winter-hardy, loves calcareous soil, but grows on all types of soil. Thanks to its unusual appearance, this juniper is indispensable in landscaping, for strengthening rocky slopes, and in decorative groups on lawns.
When propagating this type of juniper by green cuttings, standard planting material will be obtained 2-3 years earlier than from seeds, and the characteristics of the mother plant will be completely preserved. Reproduction by layering is the fastest and easiest way of vegetative propagation of Cossack juniper, but it is very unproductive.
Such garden varieties of this type of juniper are known as
Juniper "columnar" 
Juniper "erect"
“columnar”, “erect”,
Juniper form "cypress-leaved" 
Juniper form “variegated”
"cypress-leaved", "variegated"
Juniper form "tamarixolia"
And "tamarixolifolia".
The most interesting is the “white-edged” one with almost white needles at the ends of the branches. Each is decorative in its own way and differs in the shade and shape of the needles.
Juniper Cossack comb-leaved- dioecious, low, almost creeping shrub with smooth, reddish-gray bark. Cones up to 7 mm in diameter, brown-black, with a bluish coating, contain 2-6 pieces. seeds Frost-resistant, drought-resistant.
Chinese juniper in the photo
Chinese juniper- trees or shrubs with a columnar or pyramidal crown. Young shoots are grayish or yellowish-green, round, later brownish. The bark of the trunks is brownish-gray. The needles are predominantly opposite or in young specimens partially whorled (crosswise opposite and needle-shaped in whorls of three), on the shoots they are scaly, rhombic, blunt, tightly pressed to the shoot up to 1.5 mm in length. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Cone berries are single or in groups, spherical or ovoid, 6-10 mm in size, mature blue-black.
This type of juniper prefers fertile, well-moistened soils. Does not tolerate drought well. Withstands temperatures down to -30° without visible damage.
As you can see in the photo, this decorative juniper is used for single, group and alley plantings:
Juniper on the site 
Juniper on the site
From the numerous decorative forms on summer cottages They grow the “variegata” form - with whitish tips of the shoots, the “fitzeriana” - with spreading, upward-pointing branches and drooping branches. The variegated, low-growing form is interesting - with arched branches and drooping greenish and golden shoots.
This type of juniper can be grown as a bonsai.
Here you can find photos, names and descriptions of other varieties of juniper suitable for growing in the garden.
Siberian juniper in the photo
Siberian juniper- a low-growing (up to 1 m) creeping shrub with short, sharp, dark green, prickly needles. It is characterized by winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
Juniperus virginiana in the photo
Red cedar- monoecious evergreen tree. This juniper looks like a real giant - its height reaches up to 20 m. Its homeland is North America. The crown is narrowly ovoid, the needles are long (up to 13 mm) and prickly. The cones ripen in the fall, already in the first year. They are dark blue, with a waxy coating, up to 5 mm in diameter, sweet in taste, and contain 1-2 seeds. Grows quickly, especially with sufficient moisture. Less frost-hardy than Siberian and ordinary. Easily propagated by seeds when sown in autumn or stratified in spring. It tolerates pruning well, but does not tolerate replanting.
Among the common garden forms juniper virginiana has plants with columnar and pyramidal crowns; with drooping and spreading branches with bluish needles, a rounded spherical crown and bright green needles.
Long-coniferous juniper- tree or shrub. Young shoots are greenish, later - brown, round, glabrous. The bark is scaly-flaky, dark gray in color. The needles are pointed, three in whorls, 15-20 mm long, dark green or bluish, hard, prickly, shiny.
This type of plant has juniper cones, single and in groups, spherical or oval, 5-10 mm in diameter, ripe ones are black, with a faint bluish bloom. Triangular shaped seeds.
This type of juniper is suitable for group and single plantings, for decorative decoration of slopes and rocky places, because it is not demanding of soil and moisture. Propagated by seeds.
Forms with a spherical crown and a compact pyramidal bush are known.
Juniper dwarf- it is mainly a shrub up to 1 m tall. Stems are recumbent, rooting. Young shoots are green and bare. The bark of the branches and trunks is brown, on older ones it is scaly and flaky. This variety of juniper has needles in whorls of three, prickly, hard, up to 1 cm long, bluish-green.
Cone berries are single or in groups, almost spherical, 5-10 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish coating, seeds including 2-3, wrinkled, tetrahedral.
In garden design, it is suitable for single plantings on lawns, ridges, rocky hills, and for landscaping slopes. It is undemanding to soils.
Among the natural forms of the low-growing species, the most popular are “Glauka” with recumbent branches and bluish-gray needles, as well as the form “Renta” with obliquely upward directed arched branches with slightly bluish-gray needles. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering.
Juniper reddish- tree or shrub. Young shoots and needles are green, and later acquire a yellowish color. The bark is brown-gray, flaky. There are two original white stripes on the top of the needles. The shape of the needles is grooved, prickly and shiny.
The cone berries are spherical, 10 mm in diameter, ripe - reddish-brown, shiny, without a bluish coating.
The species is decorative with yellow colored needles and reddish cone berries. It differs from other species in its lack of cold resistance. It is propagated by seeds, of which there are 2-3 per coneberry. They are brown and slightly triangular.
Juniper tall- a tree up to 15 m high. Young shoots are bluish-dark green, compressed tetrahedral, glabrous. The bark of the branches and trunks is brownish-red, peeling off with age. The needles are crosswise opposite, 2-5 mm long, pointed, ovate-lanceolate in shape, rarely needle-shaped, bluish-green.
The cone berries are single, spherical, 10-12 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish coating, brown seeds.
Pay attention to the photo of this variety of juniper - it is very decorative, has a beautiful, dense, wide-pyramidal or ovoid crown. Suitable for single and group plantings, grows well on dry rocky slopes.
Like most other types of juniper, it is winter-hardy, drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil, tolerates pruning well, so can be used in borders. Propagated by seeds.
Juniper squamosus- a slow-growing shrub with an oval crown. When young, the crown is rounded, the branches are raised, bluish-green. The needles are needle-shaped, prickly, gray, short, dense, collected in whorls. The fruits are red-brown cones; When ripe in the second year they become almost black.
Various forms of this juniper are grown, among which there are plants with a spherical, vase-shaped, and spread-out crown.
In our gardens, this type of juniper is most often found in the form:
"Blue Star" is a shrub 40-45 cm high and a crown diameter of 50 cm with silver-blue and very prickly needles. He looks good on alpine roller coaster, as well as in containers.
It is quite frost-resistant, but often suffers from the spring sun.
The method of juniper propagation is chosen depending on the species - seeds, green cuttings, layering.
The seeds ripen in cones a year or two after flowering. The cones are left hanging on the tree until sowing. It is better to sow in the fall (November) in the seed furrows, into which you must add soil from under an adult juniper plant, keeping in mind the introduction of mycorrhiza into the new soil. If sowing is done in the spring, then preliminary stratification of the seeds is necessary in wet sand, in the first month at a temperature of +20...+30°, and then 4 months - at +14...+15°. Substrate for sowing - 1 part sifted turf soil and 1 part pine sawdust.
As shown in the photo, when propagating juniper, good results are obtained by planting green cuttings in greenhouses, and in summer - in greenhouses:
Juniper propagation 
Juniper propagation
Green cuttings are indispensable for propagating garden forms. Cuttings are taken with the “heel” only from young plants.
The substrate - 1 part peat, 1 part juniper needle - is placed on a layer of compost, covered with a layer of turf soil, taken from under the juniper plant. Cuttings are sprayed 4-5 times a day. The most suitable time for cutting cuttings is April. For better rooting, cuttings should be treated with a growth stimulant, immersing them for 24 hours in a solution of Epin, Zircon, Ukorenit, Kornevin, Kornerosta or another drug.
One of the main conditions for growing junipers is maintaining the temperature regime. The optimal air temperature during cuttings should be +23...+24° with a relative humidity of 80-83%.
After 1-1.5 months, a thickening appears on the juniper cuttings - callus. Immediately after this, they are transferred to the ridges, where they overwinter.
Caring for and growing junipers is not difficult, since all types of these plants are unpretentious, growing well on a wide variety of soils, including sand and wetlands, but preference is given to light nutrient substrates.
Most species are light-loving, resistant to drought, sudden temperature fluctuations and damage by diseases and pests.
Considering the peculiarities of growing junipers, you cannot dig up the soil under these plants in the fall to avoid damaging the roots. The tree trunk circle should be covered with a layer of fallen pine needles.
When growing juniper in the garden, all types of these plants are unpretentious, that is, they are able to withstand frost and drought, and practically do not require fertilizers or pruning. However, there are certainly secrets to the agricultural technology of growing junipers in culture, as evidenced by their frequent loss of decorativeness, and sometimes sudden death.
Planting a seedling in a permanent place is fraught with difficulties, since juniper does not like transplants. The tree for transplantation is dug in a circle and, together with a lump of earth, is transferred to a new place. In this case, the goal is to minimally injure the root system.
To successfully care for juniper, planting dates are determined by root growth. Juniper has two growth periods: early spring (March) and mid-summer (June-July). However, according to weather conditions, the second, summer period is not suitable due to drought. At the same time, planting in the fall may be considered advisable. During the winter, the plant is dormant, and with the beginning of spring it begins to actively take root.
These photos show planting and caring for juniper in a personal plot:
Juniper in the garden
Junipers are worthy of widespread use in the design of summer cottages. Their decorative forms are especially picturesque. They are not only beautiful, but by releasing phytoncides, like all conifers, they improve the health of our habitat.
Each of the most common types of junipers has its own specificity and value.
Low-growing forms of junipers are successfully used as ground cover.
Juniper as a silver-blue carpet
Forms such as "Glauka", "Blue Star" And "Old Gold", are able to create under trees and tall bushes beautiful silver blue carpet.
Pyramidal juniper species are usually planted as single plants or in small groups near various architectural structures, as well as on lawns and alpine hills. They are good in a quiet corner formed by trees, herbs and perennials.
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