Be sure to consult your local garden centre professional for their expert opinion on which creeping juniper will suit your region best.īelow is a list of some of the creeping juniper varieties Bylands grows. Lots of people think they don’t really like junipers but the truth is they are great shrubs that can be kept naturally looking virtually forever so consider using some of these beauties in your landscape plan. So be careful not to cut the branches too far back and exposing the woody brown undergrowth. If you have sheared your juniper too far there is really nothing you can do to repair the plant but rather to replace it. Tip pruning, taking selective cuts by cutting back enough of the branch to shorten it while leaving a natural shape or taper to the plant., is the most recommended method to prune back a juniper if necessary. Shearing is almost never the right method when dealing with a juniper. This hardy ground cover requires very little care or pruning.Ī lot of the unhealthy or uglier looking junipers out there are because of improper pruning, usually because they were sheared. Once established these junipers are considered to be drought tolerant only needing water on during hot, dry spells.
The creeping juniper grows vigorously in most well drained soil types. Depending on the variety of Bylands junipers (listed below,) a single creeping juniper can have a wide-spreading radius of approximately 5 to 10 feet when mature and grows to 12 to 60 inches high. This bluish-green evergreen features textured, plume like foliage. Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.Creeping juniper is a versatile ground cover plant that’s fast growing in locations exposed to direct sunlight. Known hazards of Juniperus horizontalis: None known Takes 12 months.Ĭultivation of the herb: Dry rocky soil, sterile pastures and fields. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years.
Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Another possibility is to harvest the seed "green" (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process. The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration. Propagation of Creeping Juniper: The seed requires a period of cold stratification. The young twigs and leaves have been burnt as an incense. The bark has been crushed and used as a soft hygienic pad in cradles. Other uses of the herb: A good ground cover plant for a sunny position, eventually making a dense cover though it requires weeding for the first year or so. A tea is made from the young branch tips.
(3 1/ 4 foot) Habitat of the herb: Dry rocky soil, sterile pastures and fields.Įdible parts of Creeping Juniper: The fruits are roasted and used in the preparation of a coffee-like beverage.