Juniper scaly. E-Catalog of Ornamental Garden Plants “Landscape. semi-shade-loving and semi-shade-tolerant plants

In the cold season, when all the flowers have fallen asleep and are waiting for new warmings, only conifers are able to bring bright colors to the gardens.

Evergreen and incredibly beautiful conifers are an unsurpassed decoration due to the variety of colors - from dark emerald to silver-gray and golden shades.

One of these is the scaly juniper, thanks to which the garden becomes attractive at any time of the year. Being highly decorative, it fits favorably into any landscape design. (Read about the features of using junipers in landscape design).

general description

Junipers are light-loving plants. For planting them, choose an open, well-lit area. The soil should be light, nutritious and sufficiently moist (loam, sandy loam), but places of possible stagnation of water should be avoided to avoid the death of the plant.

If the soil is clayey and heavy, you can use a special garden mixture of peat, sand, turf in a ratio of 2:1:2, adding mineral fertilizers. And at the bottom of the pit, a drainage layer of crushed stone or broken brick 15–20 cm thick is made.

The distance between bushes can be from 0.5 to 2 m and depends on the design of the landscape composition. The planting hole should be 2 times larger than the planting ball. Make sure that the root collar remains on the surface.

Expert advice: After planting, add the drug Epin (plant growth regulator) under each seedling for its optimal survival rate and under no circumstances press down the soil around it, later it will settle down on its own.

The seedlings need abundant watering and protection from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the scales will simply burn.

Proper care

Juniper is an unpretentious plant. In dry weather, it is recommended to water the bush only 2-3 times per season, but regular spraying is very important.

Spraying should be carried out during a decline in solar activity - early in the morning or late evening to avoid burns.

Trimming shrubs depends on the type of plant and where it is grown. If you ultimately want to get a beautiful thick crown, you need to prune it abundantly. If you are satisfied with a crown of moderate density, a small haircut will be enough.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the branches. If they are dry, just cut them off. But after weeding, you need to loosen the soil and cover it with mulch to maintain plant health.

In spring it should be fed with nitroammophos or complex mineral fertilizers. In October, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are added. In winter, the bushes are sprinkled with a 10 cm layer of peat, and young plants are covered with spruce branches.

Varieties

Scaly juniper, due to its huge variety of colors, shapes and at the same time its unpretentiousness, is most often used for decorating landscapes.

Varieties of the scaly juniper species differ significantly in external characteristics, such as:

• dimensions taking into account further growth;
• crown shape;
• coloring;
• pine texture.

This should be taken into account when decorating. There are many known garden forms of juniper scaly. Let's look at the most popular of them.

Blue Star. Dwarf shrub. Suitable for creeping plantings. The crown is wide and resembles a lying hemisphere in appearance. The branches are dense.

The shoots are short. Young shoots have a bright turquoise color, over time their color changes to a calmer - dove-blue.

The crown grows slowly. Over the course of a year, it grows no more than 5 cm in height and 10 cm in width. By the age of 10, it reaches a height of no more than 0.5 m with a diameter of 2 m. The needles are scaly, silver-blue in color. Blue cone berries.

Loves sunny places. Grows in any soil, but does not like waterlogging and salinity. Tolerates frosts, winds and droughts well. It is the “star” of rocky, heather gardens and rock gardens. Looks great in small gardens, both in a group and alone. Often used for landscaping roofs, loggias, balconies and terraces.

Blue Carpet. Dwarf fast-growing creeping shrub. The crown is wide and flat. Drooping shoots. Over the course of a year, it gains no more than 3 cm in height and 5 cm in width. By the age of 10 it reaches 0.3-05.0 m in height with a diameter of 1.5 m.

The needles are short, with pointed ends and have a gray-blue color. The color of the cones is dark blue; a whitish waxy layer is visible on the surface of the fruit.

Loves sunny places, but also tolerates partial shade. Prefers fertile soils. Does not like stagnant water and salinity. Tolerates frost, gas and smoke well.

Used to create compositions in rocky gardens, on slopes, alpine hills, as well as on roofs and balconies. Due to its fast growth, it is often used as a ground cover.

Dream Joy. Dwarf shrub. The crown is flattened, cushion-shaped. The shoots are long, strongly branched, growing asymmetrically from the center of the bush, which can be corrected by pruning.

In spring, the color of the shoots is white-yellow, later changing to silver-green. Often their ends trail along the ground. Over the course of a year it grows 7 - 15 cm in height and 15 - 25 cm in width. By the age of 10 years, they reach 0.5 m in height with a diameter of 1 m.

The needles are small and thin, pointed at the ends. The color of the needles at a young age is golden-yellow, which over time gives way to gray-blue. Loves the sun. Unpretentious, but prefers acidic, alkaline soil. Frost-resistant.

Suitable for decorating rock gardens, heather gardens and coastal areas of reservoirs. Takes root well in container conditions.

Holger. Sprawling coniferous shrub. The crown is wide and dense. The branches are slightly raised in the center, drooping at the ends. The shoots are silver-blue.

Over the course of a year it grows 10 - 15 cm in height and 15 - 25 cm in width. By the age of 10 it reaches up to 1 m in height with a diameter of 1.5 m. The needles are short and stiff, with pointed ends.

The color of the needles is green with a white coating, and the ends of young shoots are golden. The cone berries are dark blue in color with a bluish tinge. They prefer slightly acidic loams. They don't like stagnant water.

Goes well with coniferous and deciduous dwarf plants. Used to decorate rock gardens, Japanese gardens, and retaining walls. It also gets along well in containers.

Meyeri. Large creeping shrub. The crown is asymmetrical, cup-shaped. The branches are raised high with many side shoots falling down.

Over the course of a year it grows 10 - 12 cm in height and 8 - 10 cm in width. By the age of 10 it reaches a height of 3 - 4 m with a diameter of 2 - 3 m. The silver-blue needles are very thick and prickly.

Prefers moderately fertile soils. Withstands urban climate. Regular trimming is recommended to achieve a tighter shape. Suitable for creating designer garden compositions and borders.

Scaly juniper, thanks to its wide variety of colors and shapes, in combination with other coniferous and deciduous plants allows you to create incredibly beautiful landscape compositions.

Watch the video in which a specialist explains in detail the features of growing Blue Carpet juniper:

Scaly juniper is a squat evergreen conifer with a spreading crown, from the Cypress family. The natural habitat is the mountainous territories of China, the Eastern Himalayas and the island of Taiwan. The plant also adapts well to Russian latitudes. It is valued in gardening for its ease of care, frost resistance and decorativeness. In landscape design they are used to create various compositions. Thick greenish-gray needles, forming a spectacular crown, will become a worthy decoration of any personal plot.

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Description

Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata) can rightfully be classified as a long-living conifer, since its life cycle is oriented at 600 years. Compared to other types, the dimensions are average. Presented in the form of a low shrub, with woody shoots spreading and creeping along the ground. The branches are characterized by abundant branching. The leaves are hard, needle-like needles 8–10 mm long, exuding a persistent aroma. The color is bluish-green above, and deeper green below.

It grows slowly, does not cross the border of 1.5 m. The annual increase in height and width is about 1 cm. In the second year of life, approximately in May, small oval cones 7–8 cm in size appear. As they ripen, they change color from greenish to scarlet to purple-black. In winter, the needles darken and fall off, the bark cracks, and old shoots die.

Species diversity

Scaly juniper, as well as multiple varieties and hybrids, are popular with garden designers. This is due to the beautiful coniferous crown, which fits perfectly into any group plantings.

The most popular decorative varieties of juniper are presented in the table:

Name	Description	Photo
Blue Carpet	A fast-growing variety of juniper, at the age of 10 years it reaches a height of about 0.6 m. It is distinguished by a creeping gray-blue crown with drooping branches. Winters well in open ground, loves a lot of light, but does not suffer much from shading. Grows in any soil, does not tolerate dampness. Suitable for growing in pots. Used in decorating rocky gardens, loggias and terraces
Golden Flame	A squat shrub with a spreading crown. The needles are predominantly green, with individual inclusions of cream color. Suitable for growing in central regions, but recommended for the area southwest of St. Petersburg, where winters are milder. It grows quite slowly, is light-loving, and unpretentious to the soil. Needs moderate watering, without stagnation of water. Used in garden landscaping, ideal for creating alpine slides. Dried needles remain on the shoots for several years, which can spoil the decorative appearance. Despite this, it is considered one of the most beautiful representatives of the species
Floreant	An extraordinary variety with a greenish-yellow coniferous crown. Moreover, the yellowness is not based on the tips, but is scattered chaotically throughout the bush. The plant is classified as a dwarf plant - it is no more than 1 m tall. It grows up to two meters wide
Loderi	The plant forms a pin-shaped, elongated-pointed crown with raised shoots. Outwardly they resemble small Christmas trees. They grow no more than 1.5 m in height and 0.9–1 m in width. The foliage is needle-shaped small needles, bluish-green in color. In the second year, the needles turn brown and dry out. At the age of ten they grow up to 0.8 m. The trunk is covered with gray-cream bark. The culture is thermophilic, prefers a lot of light, but there will be no harm from shading. Does not tolerate drought
Blue Spider	An evergreen conifer with a blue needle-shaped crown. Spreading at an early age, then compactly gathers into fluffy bushes with slightly hanging shoots. At 10 years old it reaches a height of 0.5 m, with a diameter of 1.5 m. The maximum possible height is 1.5 m and 2.5 m in girth. The needles are flattened, needle-shaped, bluish-blue, and covered with a gray coating in winter. The cones are dark blue with a metallic sheen. The bushes do not require shaping, watering is moderate. Light-loving, does not tolerate even light shading, and is frost-resistant. The soil is preferably loose and fertile, but with good care it can grow on depleted rocky and sandy soil. Long-lived, suitable for urban environments
Holger	Spreading bushes, 0.8–1 m high. Valued for their unusual decorative appearance: a combination of silver-green needles and yellowness at the tips of the shoots. It tolerates winter cold well and does not suffer from growing in the shade. Despite this, the best growth is observed under the sun. Prefers moderate watering, without stagnation. Landscape designers use it in compositions with perennial crops. It looks no less impressive in rockeries, against a rocky background. Suitable for decorating terraces and balconies
Meyeri (Meyeri)	The most popular plant among gardeners, due to its beautiful decorative forms. Creeping bushes from 30 cm to 1 m in length. The shoots are hanging, densely covered with needle-like soft needles, bluish-green in color with a bluish bloom. Winter hardiness is average; shelter from sub-zero temperatures is required. Does not tolerate heavy soil. Looks great in landscaping roofs, facades, loggias. Widely used in topiary art
Dream Joy (Dream Joy)	Very beautiful coniferous compact shrubs with bright yellow tops on a green background. As they grow older, the shoots become covered with a bluish coating. The crown is squat, grows 110–120 cm in width, and 70–80 cm in height. For this crop, select the most illuminated place in the garden, with loose and fertile soil. In group plantings, it is preferable to place them on the leading ground so that the bushes do not get lost among their larger neighbors.
Blue Star	A shrub with slow growth, maximum height is 0.5–1 m. The crown is dense, dense, spherical, with drooping shoots. Coniferous composition of rich blue color with a bluish haze. Sometimes the impression of a metallic sheen is created, which is caused by white stripes. Cold-resistant, shade-tolerant, but prefers plenty of light. Easily adapts to any climatic conditions and soils. Ideal as a ground cover for landscaping in garden plots, and also suitable for creating other compositions
Blue Swede	It is distinguished by its spectacular silver or greenish-blue coniferous component, down-to-earth crown and drooping shoots. Relatively winter-hardy, needs shelter. Undemanding to the composition of the soil, it grows even on poor soils. Tolerates shade. From the category of medium-sized junipers, in 10 years of growth it does not exceed the bar of 50 cm in height. But it grows 2.5 m in width. It is characterized by a change in the color of the needles in winter - it becomes gray with a steel tint. Suitable for designing city parks, as it is immune to air pollution
Hunnetorp	It is especially popular among gardeners in Central Europe and Scandinavia. An evergreen conifer with a slow growth rate. It has a compact crown and small needle-like needles, greenish-silver in color. According to some sources, it is a variety of Blue Sweet



Landing

Scaly juniper, like most species, is planted in an area where there is a lot of light. In the shade, an oblique crown with a loose structure is formed. Only the common juniper tolerates shading tolerably, which does not cause significant harm to it. Due to the fragile root system, seedlings are transferred to open ground using a transshipment method - they capture the roots along with a large lump of earth. The interval between large plantings is 2 m, for smaller plantings - 0.5–1 m.

Description of the cucumber variety German F1, planting and care in open ground

Care

The plant is quite unpretentious in care and easily adapts to any environmental conditions.. Agrotechnical activities are kept to a minimum, namely:

• Water rarely; even in extreme heat, two or three moistenings are sufficient throughout the entire growing season. Up to 30 liters of water is poured under each adult bush.
• After the spill, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. After this, add a mulch layer (bark, peat or sawdust) so that moisture from the soil does not evaporate so intensely.
• Sprinkling can be done daily, only in the evening or early in the morning. Then the leaves will not get sunburn.
• During midday hours, it is recommended to protect plantings from direct sunlight. There is a need for such protection in early spring, when the first rays can cause no less harm.
• Pruning is carried out carefully so as not to remove good shoots and not spoil the shape of the crown. Since juniper grows rather slowly, it will take a long time to recover. It is recommended to wear protective gloves when working, as the sap of the plant causes skin irritation.

Adult bushes do not need protective shelter for the winter, but it would be useful to mulch young ones and cover them with any covering material. The following year they will no longer resort to such a measure.

Reproduction

Propagation of juniper is possible in two ways: seed and vegetative. The first option is not used so often due to the impossibility of maintaining the original decorative indicators. Seeds are collected from ripened cones, which are formed on female bushes, in August - September. The sex of the plant is recognized visually: in male specimens the crown is narrowed, columnar or elliptical in shape, while in female specimens it is loose and spreading.

As the fruits ripen, their color changes: first they are green, then purple-black, with a bluish tinge. The berries taste bitter, with a spicy aroma. They contain three seeds inside. The extracted material is stratified before sowing. It is better to plant them in separate boxes in the fall and then bury them in the snow for the entire winter period. Then the seeds will undergo natural preparation by cold. In May, the seeds are completely ready for planting in open ground; only seedlings will appear the next year.

Decorative varieties of juniper are propagated exclusively by cuttings. The most successful period for this is the end of April - May. Annual shoots are cut from an adult plant, at least eight years old. Cuttings 10–15 cm long are cut from the blanks. The lower part is cleared of needles, about 5 cm. The cuttings should have a “heel” - a piece of old bark. The cuttings are immersed in a solution of a growth stimulator for a day, and only after that they are rooted in a peat-sand mixture.

Cover with film or a glass cap to create a greenhouse microclimate. Further care is standard: moisturizing through spraying and removing condensate that accumulates inside. After 30–40 days, young roots sprout. By the end of June, fully rooted pieces are moved to the garden bed. In winter, it is recommended to cover young people with spruce branches. They are grown in this way for about two to three years, and only then are they transplanted to a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Most often, juniper bushes are affected by rust. Of the harmful insects, spider mites, juniper moths, aphids and scale insects are dangerous. Treatment with Fitoverm (dilute 2 g per 1 liter of water), which is applied once every 10–14 days, helps get rid of aphids. In the same way, moths are removed - with Decisa (2.5 g per 10 l of water), from ticks - Karate (55 g per 10 l), scale insects - Warbofos (65–70 g per 10 l). To eliminate any signs of rust, the bushes are sprayed with an arceride solution every ten days.

Evergreen scaly juniper is one of the favorite plants of landscape designers. Most varieties of compact shrubs are low-growing, unpretentious, easily tolerate shaping and are widely used to create topiary.

Characteristics of culture

Junipers belong to the Cypress family, wild plants of the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. Shrubs have been used in gardening since the beginning of the 19th century. In favorable conditions they live for centuries. Nowadays, varieties with a low, creeping crown, emitting a faint coniferous aroma, have become widespread. These monoecious shrubs are characterized by dense branches with stiff, short needles. The length of the sickle-shaped needles is 5-8 mm, they are collected in whorls of 3, slightly pressed to the branches. The color of the needles is light and silver on top, and dark green on the bottom.

Juniper bushes grow at a low speed, up to several centimeters per season. On mature shrubs, oval cones-berries with 1 seed are created on the branches, which ripen by the end of May every other year. At first they are green-red, then blue, 6-7 mm long. Not all varieties can withstand severe frosts. In the climate of central Russia, many junipers require shelter for the winter.

Juniper squamosus

Note! All work with junipers is carried out with gloves, since the plants contain substances that can harm health.

Description of varieties

More than ten varieties of scaly juniper are known in Russian gardens. The differences are in the shape and color of the crown. Popular ones include Holger juniper and blue creeping bushes.

Meyeri is one of the tall varieties of Chinese selection, bred more than a hundred years ago. The plant stretches up to 5 m, shoots increase by 10 cm per year. But there is a modern version - the compact version of the picturesque Mary juniper, low-growing, 60-70 cm. Meyeri Compakta is distinguished by the bluish color of its needles, undemandingness to soils, and winter hardiness - up to 23 ° C. The shoots extend obliquely, the edges fall beautifully.

Juniper Meyeri

The cone-shaped graceful shape of the crown is distinguished by the Loderi juniper variety, known since 1926. The 1.5 m high shrub was named after the name of its creator, an English aristocrat. The branches of the plant rise densely, occupying a circumference of 80-100 cm. They develop rather slowly - by the age of 10, juniper grows up to 80 cm. The needles are green-gray and short. The variety is drought-resistant, warm and light-loving.

In May and June, the Holger juniper bush stands as if wrapped in a golden glow. Its crown rises up to a meter, with a circumference of 1.5-2.5 m. This is the largest shrub of its kind, created in Sweden in 1946. Due to its seasonal scenic features, the Holger juniper variety is widely used in garden design. The bulk of the needles are a rich bluish-green color, but young branches have a light golden hue, which darkens only in autumn. According to the description, Holger junipers grow 7-10 cm in height and up to 25 in width over the summer. A spreading bush with shaggy branches rising obliquely decorates the yard and purifies the air with phytoncides, which it produces 6 times more than any other coniferous crop.

The decorative properties of the Holger juniper bushes are slightly similar to the previous variety, another plant of the same meter height. Only in terms of growth strength, the Golden Flame juniper lags behind its fellow, expanding laterally by 18-20 cm over the season. By 10 years, the shrub grows up to 1 m. The decorative crown of the variety lasts a whole year due to individual creamy-golden islands against the general bluish background of the needles . The charm of the variety is fully revealed if the juniper is planted in a sunny area.

Juniper Holger

Additional Information. A feature of caring for varieties with decorative yellowish areas of the crown is the need for shading from late January to early March. At this time, the sun's rays are bright and can burn delicate needles.

Dream Joy juniper bushes, as described by gardeners, captivate with their elegance and unique cheerfulness. From the beginning of summer they are similar in color to the previous 2 varieties. The shades of the young shoots against the overall green-bluish background of the bush are more muted in this plant, rather light green and slightly yellowish, but not severe, like many conifers. The variety, bred in England, is low-growing, in 10 years it stretches up only 50-60 cm, the crown expands to 1-1.2 m. The growth of branches is 7-15 cm in height and 16-24 cm in circumference. The shape of the bush is cushion-shaped, symmetrical, compact. To characterize this juniper, mention is made of its winter hardiness, down to -26, -28 °C.

A separate series includes silver-blue scaly junipers bred in Holland and Sweden: Blue Carpet, Blue Star, Blue Swede and others. Their common feature is the deep bluish-silver color of the needles. Most shrubs have creeping branches that bend smoothly downwards. Grows in sun and partial shade, does not like low-lying areas. The average height is 60-100 cm, the diameter of the dense crown is 1.5-2.5 m. The winter-hardy Blue Sweet variety has short, 1 cm, needles that become almost gray in the fall. These varieties look impressive on a trunk.

Juniper Blue Carpet

The Floreant juniper variety was created from the Blue Star bush in Holland and named after the popular football club. It grows slowly - 6 cm per season, 40 cm high, the width of the hemispherical crown is 50 cm. Impressive with areas of white-cream needles on a blue background.

Hannethorpe juniper shrubs are considered a variety of Blue Swede. At the outstretched crown, the tips of the shoots fall down. Growth is moderate, reaches 1.5 m in height in 2 decades, diameter - 2.5 m. A beautiful, strict-looking variety with a bluish color can withstand frosts of up to 26, 28 degrees.

Landing

Scaly junipers are propagated by seeds and cuttings, treated with a growth stimulant. The berries are collected in the fall and soaked for 7 days. The seeds are scarified with hard sandpaper and sown in a box, which is placed covered under the snow. Planting of sprouts in the ground is carried out in the spring.

Planting juniper

It is easier to purchase a seedling with a closed root system:

1. A hole is dug in a sunny area or in partial shade, 2 times larger than the container.
2. On clay soils, drainage is arranged with a layer of 20 cm.
3. Garden soil and peat are mixed 1:1.
4. A special mineral complex is added: 5 g per 1 liter of substrate.
5. The lump is installed so that the root collar is flush with the ground.
6. The hole is watered and mulched.

Important! Juniper is planted on acidic soils or acidified neutral ones.

Care

Junipers require moderate watering. Sprinkling is carried out in the evening or early in the morning. Lay a 3-4 cm layer of mulch to retain moisture.

For proper care, bushes are fed with organic matter or minerals:

• Nitrogen preparations are introduced in the spring;
• in July - phosphorus;
• in autumn - potassium;
• Foliar feeding is effective.

Sanitary pruning is carried out regularly, and a plastic crown is formed if desired. For winter in harsh climates, bushes are covered.

Juniper pruning

Diseases and pests

Junipers suffer from fungal diseases, which are prevented by treatment with fungicides Quadris, Horus, Maxim, Switch and others. Shrubs are harmed by scale insects, aphids, moths, and mites. Preventatively sprayed with insecticides Match, Actellik, Enzhio.

Landscape

Bushes with an original crown and a hint of pine needles, like the Dream Joy juniper, act as expressive soloists and are also effective in a group. Creeping varieties are planted in the foreground of compositions. Often in such places bushes of juniper squamat Holger grow. Dense hedges are created from tall ones. Plants with different shades of needles look interesting next to each other.

Scaly junipers will decorate the garden, adding a unique, sophisticated flavor. Caring for bushes is quite simple. Watering and fertilizing will ensure a healthy appearance for the plantings.

Description

Meyeri's juniper (Juniperus squamata Meyeri) is a coniferous evergreen shrub beloved by gardeners and landscape designers. The popularity of the variety is due to the elegance of the crown and the original color of the needles: obliquely located branches with hanging silver-blue ends inspire people who are passionate about gardening to create unique landscape compositions. The shrub is especially beautiful during the period of active growth (late May - June). The growth rate is average (10 cm per year), the shoots are straight, the branches are short. An adult plant can reach 2-5m in height. The fruits are dark blue with a waxy coating of cones. Often used as a plant to create Bonsai.

Planting and caring for juniper scaly Meieri

It is better to plant juniper in sunny places, slight shading is allowed. The distance between planted plants is from 0.5 to 2 m, depending on the size. The planting hole should be 2-3 times larger than the earthen ball and up to 70 cm deep for adult plants. At the bottom of the hole, make a drainage layer of sand or broken brick about 20 cm thick. When planting, it is important that the root collar is not buried.

Junipers prefer soil with a slightly acidic to neutral reaction (see). The soil mixture is made in a 2:1:1 ratio from peat, sand and turf soil, respectively. After planting, the plant needs to be watered abundantly for a week.

In dry summers it needs to be watered. Junipers do not tolerate dry air well, so it is advisable to sprinkle regularly. Fertilizers are applied once a year in the spring at the end of April or in May (nitroammofoska, Kemira-universal, etc.). Young plants need shallow loosening.

For the winter, the plants are sprinkled with peat with a layer thickness of 10 cm, and the young plants are covered with spruce branches. Columnar varieties may suffer from heavy snowfalls, so in the fall the branches are pressed to the trunk with tape or rope (see,).

Scaly juniper is a densely branched evergreen shrub, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters. Dioecious. The bark is dark brown in color. This ornamental plant attracts special attention with its needles. It is very tough and even sharp, up to 1 cm long. Its color on the underside is rich, dark green, and the needles on top are white (due to the stomatal stripes found on them). The needles are arranged three in one whorl. The peculiar cone berries ripen for a whole year; they appear only in May. They are black and shiny.

Juniper scaly. Application in landscape design

Scaly juniper looks very decorative, which is why it is often used to decorate areas. This plant is planted either singly or in small groups. Sometimes juniper can be seen in compositions on alpine hills, where it is grown among large stones. But the shrub looks especially impressive in winter, among pure white snow. Scaly juniper is also used in parklands as a hedge, and low-growing species are used to cover and secure slopes and slopes of rock gardens. But this plant also has negative qualities, the most important of which is slow growth. Juniper is also very sensitive to soot and smoke, this factor limits its use in industrial centers.

Juniper scaly Holger

There are many varieties of this ornamental shrub, all of them differ from each other in the color of their needles and growth pattern. For landscaping city parks, juniper scaly Holger is often used. This plant attracts attention thanks to the amazing combination of silver needles with the bright yellow color of the tips of the needles. The height of the bush is 2 m, the girth is 1 m. The shape of the crown is wide horizontal, spreading. The shoots are evenly spaced. The color of the needles of this variety is silvery-dark green, but the tips have a rich greenish-yellow color. The plant is frost-resistant and survives the cold season well. It prefers moderately dry soils with both acidic and alkaline reactions. Since the scaly juniper variety Holger is resistant to the urban climate, and especially to harmful industrial emissions, it is used in landscaping public gardens and parks. Young trees are planted in planting holes, pre-fertilized with mineral and organic substances. After planting, water the earthen ball abundantly. Be sure to mulch with sawdust, a layer of at least 5 cm. To restore the decorative appearance and remove dried branches, cosmetic pruning is carried out once a year.

Juniper squamosus Meieri. Peculiarities

Another beautiful shrub that can be found in urban green spaces is Meieri's scaly juniper. This is a very popular decorative form beloved by all gardeners. It is quite branched and dense when young, but over the years the plant grows in length, reaching 5 m in height. The branches are short, the shoots are straight. The color of the needles is beautiful, bluish-white, most pronounced in the last ten days of May and July. Juniper Mayeri is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The annual growth should be up to 10 cm.