Hardiness zones
Sunset 4-24
USDA 3 (some protection might be needed) - 11
Landscape Use: Large foundation, informal screen, filler for mesic and old fashioned landscape design themes, bonsai.
Form & Character: Arching and spreading, fountain-like, coniferous, oriental.
Growth Habit: Large evergreen shrub, moderately fast to 15' with greater spread. Root systems of Chinese junipers grow up to 2.5 times larger than shoots.
Foliage/texture: Chinese junpier has both adult (appressed, scale like) and juvenile (stiff short needle-like, ternate) foliage, opposite. Foliar colors varies from dark green to yellow to glaucous depending on cultivar. Somewhat stiff and pointed branches spread outward at almost 45 degree angle; fine texture.
Flowers & fruits: Dioecious; female cones sub-globose to 5/16" across, 2-3 seeded, ripen in 2-3 years, purplish to brown; male flowers auxiliary and very small, golden yellow to brown, spring, inconspicuous
Seasonal color: Absolutely none
Temperature: Highly tolerant
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Very tolerant
Watering: Infrequent deep summer irrigations are required in Phoenix for survival.
Pruning: Many struggle with how to maintain Chinese juniper as it matures and typically outgrows its planting space. typically what happens is that eventually Chinese juniper is sheared to control its spread.
Propagation: Chinese juniper cultivars are propagated from cuttings which generally root readily. Some of the upright cultivars are more difficult to root and are grafted, usually onto J. chinensis 'Hetzii' or J. virginiana seedling rootstock.
Disease and pests: Spider mites, juniper scale
Additional comments: Chinese juniper is mosptly an old-fashioned serviceable landscape filler plant that is widely grown as an ornamental in North America and Europe. In the Phoenix area, it is typcially found in landscapes of older homes in older neighborhoods.
There are many cultivars and varieties for various uses. Some of these include:
