Scaly juniper juniperus squamata. Charming juniper for the garden: types and varieties, names and photos. Medium junipers: varieties

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, under each seedling, add the drug Epin (plant growth regulator) 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:

Luxurious junipers of emerald, blue, dark green or golden yellow color, various shapes and sizes, unpretentious and frost-resistant - the favorite ornamental coniferous plants. It is impossible to imagine a modern garden plot without these lush evergreen trees or shrubs that exude the scent of forest freshness, beautiful at any time of the year and in any environment.

If you have not yet chosen what type of coniferous trees and shrubs to plant in the garden, use the article “”, which will help you decide.

The best types and varieties

The diversity of species, amazing plasticity, ability to withstand heavy pruning, versatility of use in landscaping, sustainability and ease of cultivation have become the reasons for the unprecedented popularity of junipers and prompted breeders to develop remarkable varieties and hybrid forms.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis)

A spreading shrub or large tree, reaching a height of 10 m, pyramidal, spreading or creeping shape with narrow prickly needles and reddish-brown bark. Depending on the type of development and appearance, there are quite a few forms and variations, in particular, the following are popular:

suecica – the crown is formed in the form of a wide column, the ends of the shoots hang down;
compressa – up to 1 m high, narrow, columnar crown;
pendula – spreading with a weeping crown;
hibernica – slender, columnar, branches directed upwards.

The species is resistant to dust and air pollution and is successfully grown in urban environments. Grows well on poor sandy and rocky soils. More than a hundred varieties have been bred, and wild varieties are also attractive.

Green Carpet

The creeping, low-growing variety was obtained from a shrub discovered on the Norwegian coast at the end of the last century. The shoots and branches are directed horizontally, the crown is dense, and generally looks round. An adult plant reaches 15–30 cm in height, growing in diameter to 1.5–2.0 m.

The emerald, bright needles acquire a rich green color over time. Development is slow, the variety works well as a ground cover plant, and sparse partial shade is acceptable when placed.

Gold Cone

A spectacular German variety with a crown in the form of a narrow column or pyramid. It grows up to 2–3 m in height and up to 60 cm in width, develops quickly, and gives growth of up to 15–20 cm per year. The branches are directed obliquely upward, the ends of the shoots puff up, making the plant look slightly disheveled, which gives it charm.

In spring and early summer, the ends of the shoots turn yellowish, later the needles turn green, and in winter they acquire a creamy-brown tint. The variety gives plantings a sunny accent and is successfully used to create groups on the lawn, design rockeries and paths.

Sentinel or Pencil Point

A stunning variety of Canadian selection with a narrow columnar or pyramidal crown resembles a thin pencil, the similarity is enhanced by the pointed tip. A ten-year-old tree reaches a height of 1.5 m and a diameter of about 30 cm. Due to the branches pressed to the trunk and directed upward, the crown looks molded and even.

Small needle-shaped needles of rich green color or with a slight bluish tint are not inclined to turn brown in winter. Sentinel looks great as a tapeworm near rocky hills, near lush conifers, or when planted in groups of three plants.

The robust species is considered the most resistant to unfavorable conditions, drought and air pollution, and develops well when planted along city avenues with busy traffic or in a factory area.

It is a creeping, spreading shrub that grows up to 1.5 m in height and reaches enormous sizes in diameter - 6–8 meters or more. The crown is spreading, the branches rise at the ends. The needles are dark green in color, of two varieties - needle-like in young plants and scale-like in adults. When planting, it should be taken into account that the needles and fruits are toxic.

Blue Donau

A remarkably showy plant whose name translates as “Blue Danube”. A medium-sized shrub with spreading shoots, by the age of ten it grows no more than 1 m in height and about 1.5 m in diameter. In the future, it can grow up to 3 m in width, which is important to take into account when planning planting. The shoots are directed horizontally or obliquely upward.

Development is rapid, shoots give growth of about 20 cm per year. The needles have a beautiful bluish tone, with a strong scent; in winter they acquire a green or bluish, sometimes lilac tone. Recommended as a textural and color component of rocky gardens; it looks wonderful in single plantings, when planted along alleys or near columnar dark conifers.

Tamariscifolia or Tamaris (Tamariscifolia)

The most popular Cossack juniper takes on a dome-shaped shape when mature. The crown reaches a height of 1 m and a diameter of up to 2 m. The shoots are located horizontally or obliquely upward, partially overlapping each other like tiles, forming a dense, dense cover.

The needles are abundant, needle-like, light green in color with a bluish tinge. Tamaris grows well on any soil and is suitable for planting in unsuitable areas, landscaping rocky areas and slopes.

Juniper horizontalis (Juniperus horizontalis)

It is a low shrub pressed to the ground with creeping flexible shoots and many small side branches. The needles are bluish-green or pure green, scaly and needle-like, and in winter they take on a burgundy hue. The wild variety is common on the sandy slopes of rivers and hills of the North American continent. More than 60 varieties have been obtained, the standard forms are spectacular.

Golden Carpet

The yellow-colored Golden Carpet is a sport of the famous low-growing variety Wiltonii with blue needles. A bright decorative creeping juniper with a flat crown formed from lodging branches, the side shoots are shortened and pointed upward. Development is slow, the height of an adult plant is up to 30 cm, with a diameter of about 1.5 m. The needles are small, sharp, often needle-type, yellowish-green in color; on the current year’s growths they are golden-yellow, turning green with the onset of cold weather.

Thin shoots lying on loose soil take root over time, strengthening and nourishing the plant, forming an attractive golden carpet that suppresses weeds. Sport is used as a ground cover plant, to secure loose slopes, grafted onto a standard, and planted among tall perennials.

Ice Blue

A magnificent blue horizontal juniper that grows as a creeping shrub with lodging flexible shoots pressed to the ground. Forms a dense carpet that flows around obstacles and falls in waves from hills, causing genuine admiration. The height is about 10–15 cm, the crown grows up to 2 m in diameter. Small branches grow in abundance, directed obliquely upward.

The needles are soft, scale-like, greenish with a bright blue tint; in winter they acquire a purple tone. The shrub is grown as a ground cover and looks great on the slopes of large rocky hills, among columnar conifers, weeping dwarf birches and rowan trees.

Medium or Fitzer's juniper (Juniperus x pfitzeriana)

It is a hybrid obtained by crossing the Cossack and Chinese species, and is a male clone. A strong shrub grows up to 3 m in height and more than 5 m in diameter. The shoots ascend obliquely and hang down at the ends. The needles are predominantly needle-shaped, scaly on young growths. Low creeping or spreading forms are common in culture.

Mint Julep

The most popular variety was developed in the USA; the name translates as “Mint Cocktail”. The low shrub develops quickly, reaching 1 m in height and 2.5–3 m in diameter. Long branches directed to the sides or at an upward oblique angle form a flattened, wide crown. The needles are scaly, bright green.

Side branches and ascending shoots puff up and give the plant a tousled appearance, which looks natural and adds texture to the landscape. Mint Julep is good when planted in groups, in mixborders, for forming hedges.

King of Spring

A compact shrub, the crown is formed by branches directed horizontally and then obliquely upward. By the age of ten it grows to 30–50 cm in height and 1.2 m in diameter. The needles are yellowish-green, needle-shaped and scaly. The current year's growths are delicate, refined, bright yellow, stand out on the surface of the crown and give it an attractive fluffy appearance.

With its brightness and spectacular contrast of the green center of the bush and the outer golden shoots, this little “king of spring” can outshine not only other conifers, but also flowering perennials.

Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata)

A remarkable species native to the mountainous areas of East Asia, it is a tree up to 3 m high or a prostrate (creeping) shrub. The needles are sharp, lanceolate, curved, dark green in color, silvery on top.

Dream Joy

It develops at an average pace, by the age of ten it reaches 60 cm in height and more than 1.2 m in width. Shoots grow by 10–15 cm per year. The crown is dense, regular cushion-shaped. The branches are multidirectional, arched, drooping at the ends. Sharp needle-type needles, dark, bluish-green. Young growths of a fresh yellowish-green hue contrast effectively with the general background.

Blue Star

A rounded shrub up to 1 m high and up to 1.5 m wide. It develops slowly, growing 3–5 cm per year. The main advantage is the compact, tightly knit blue crown of an irregular cushion shape. The main branches are numerous and directed upward. The lateral branches are short, densely covered with needle-shaped blue needles. This year's growths are silvery-blue and light. This is an amazing variety for rocky hills and mixed borders.

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

In nature it grows as a tall tree with a crown in the shape of a pyramid or column; in natural conditions it grows above 10 m; it is common in China and Japan. The needles are scaly or needle-shaped, rich green in color. It grows better in nutritious, sufficiently moist soils. More than 60 varieties have been bred; both variations with a smooth, dense crown and ruffled ones with multidirectional branches are attractive. Hybrid bicolor Chinese junipers are very good.

Stricta

A beautiful slender variety of Dutch selection was obtained in 1945. Young plants are characterized by a narrow columnar or pyramidal crown, the apex is pointed. Development is slow - up to 5–8 cm of growth per year. Over time, the crown expands, becomes more voluminous, an adult plant reaches 2–3 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter.

The lateral branches are numerous, dense, and directed obliquely upward. The needles are needle-shaped, attractive bluish-green in color, the lower part of the needles are silvery. In winter it takes on a brownish tint.

Plumosa

An unusual hybrid of Chinese and medium-sized junipers, with spreading, side-directed branches arranged in an inverted arch, causing the crown to take the shape of a crown or funnel. The plants are low - up to 1.5 m, with an inclined, shortened main stem and obliquely ascending branches. The side branches are outstretched and drooping. The needles are scaly, thick green in color.

In England, a beautiful hybrid form of Plumosa Aurea was obtained, growing no higher than 1 m. The needles are a striking golden-yellow hue, which is especially attractive in early spring. This slow growing plant is suitable for cultivation.

Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana)

In nature, the species is distributed in the mountainous areas of North America. Powerful plants reach 20 m and form a pyramidal crown, which becomes more and more spreading over the years. The needles are dark, green, needle-shaped and scaly.

Gray Owl

The Dutch variety, translated as “Grey Owl”, was obtained by breeders in 1938. This is a wonderful lush shrub with an original flattened crown of irregular shape. The skeletal branches are directed horizontally and raised, the lateral thin branches are lowered down. By the age of ten it grows no higher than 1.5 m, reaching 3 m in diameter.

The needles are mostly scaly, of a beautiful bluish-blue color; at the ends of young shoots they are silvery; in winter they acquire a brownish tint. In general, the shrub gives the impression of lightness, with its thin arched branches and graceful light needles.

Canaertii

The variety was obtained in Belgium at the end of the 19th century; it is a tall tree with a narrow pyramidal shape. It develops quickly, adult plants in favorable conditions grow up to 5 m and higher. The initially dense, dense crown loosens over time. The branches are directed upward, the scaly needles of a lush green color turn yellowish-brown in winter.

Young plants are decorated with sophisticated light shoots that extend obliquely from the crown and hang down at the ends. Round blue cones with a white coating, appearing in abundance on the branches of mature shrubs, make them even more attractive.

Rock juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

A large tree up to 10–15 m high or a spreading dense shrub, it grows naturally on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The crown is narrowly pyramidal, the branches are vertically directed, growing low from the ground itself, densely covering the trunk. The needles are needle-shaped and scaly, bluish-green. It is unpretentious to the soil, but can freeze in winter, the branches are fragile, break off during heavy snowfalls, and in the spring, tender growths can get burned.

Moonglow

A bright blue variety with an attractive rounded crown that takes on a pyramidal shape with age. It develops quickly, produces increments of up to 20 cm, growing up to 6 m in height and up to 2.5 m in width. The needles are grayish-blue, bright, with silvery young shoots.

Excellent for growing hedges, looks impressive in group planting. The variegated variety Moonglow Variegate is decorated with creamy twigs that tend to freeze in winter.

Skyrocket

A slender tree with a columnar crown and a pointed top by the age of ten grows up to 3.0 m in height and about 0.7 m in diameter. The skeletal branches and numerous lateral branches fit tightly and are directed vertically.

The needles are scaly, bluish-blue in color, small. This resistant variety was discovered in natural conditions in 1949 and quickly became extremely popular due to its dense crown of regular shape and unpretentiousness.

The small shrub is common in the Far East, China and Western Siberia. The skeletal branches are directed horizontally, spread out and raised at the ends. The needles are green, needle-shaped, with whitish-gray stripes; on young growths they are scale-like, soft, and blunt. In winter it is prone to browning.

The cone berries are dark blue, with a bluish coating. The plant is stable, spectacular, decorative varieties have been obtained, which are sometimes mistaken for varieties of a closely related species - Chinese juniper.

The tall tree is common in natural conditions in China, Japan, Korea, and the Far East, and is a rare species. It grows in height up to 8–10 m. The crown is pyramidal, dense, loose in female specimens, formed by ascending spreading skeletal branches with hanging lateral branches.

The needles are emerald-colored, mostly needle-shaped, hard, and prickly. The species is suitable for solitary plantings, looks impressive with a weeping crown shape, and has long been used for growing bonsai.

The species is distributed in the northern regions of Eurasia, in the tundra and mountainous areas, and is similar in appearance to common juniper. A low-growing plant 0.5–1 m high, the branches are creeping, sometimes raised. The needles are pointed, curved, up to 0.8 cm long, juicy green with a white stripe.

The branches are decorated with fleshy purple cones covered with a bluish coating. Suitable for group plantings and rock gardens. Unpretentious, resistant to frosty winters.

Originally from Japan, a creeping, dense shrub with a dense crown grows up to 30 cm in height. Forms thick, extensive green carpets with a diameter of up to 3–4 m. Lateral branches grow in abundance and are directed upward.

The needles are needle-shaped, green, with white spots at the base. In cultivation, it is more common in Japan, used as a ground cover plant, grafted onto a trunk, and also grown as a bonsai.

Groups of junipers by appearance and growth rate

Numerous types of junipers differ in appearance and in the rate of crown growth. Often within the same species there can be both creeping and tall plants, which depends on the growing conditions, belonging to the subspecies or hybrid form.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, typically tall species can be represented by medium-sized or even dwarf varieties. Below are grouped some common types and varieties of junipers depending on the height of the plants, the direction of growth of the branches, the pace of development and the color of the needles.

Horizontal:

M. horizontal,
M. Daursky,
M. Kozatsky,
M. medium,
M. Sargent,
M. vulgare (Depressa, Greenmantl, Vase).

Vertical:

M. virginsky,
M. Chinese,
M. rocky,
M. hard,
M. spiny,
M. tall,
M. vulgare (Gold Cone, Arnold, Sentinel).

Tall (height of species plants):

M. virginian (up to 20 m),
M. rocky (up to 10–12 m),
M. hard (up to 8–10 m),
M. spiny (up to 5–10 m),
M. chinensis (up to 10–15 m),
M. ordinary (up to 8–12 m),
M. tall (up to 10–15 m).

Creeping:

M. horizontal,
M. recumbent,
M. crowded or coastal,
M. squamosus,
M. Sargent,
M. vulgare (Green Carpet, Repanda).

Dwarf:

M. virginiana (Globosa, Golden Spring),
M. sinensis (Expansa and its forms),
M. recumbent (Nana),
M. common (Compressa, Constans Franklin),
M. medium (King of Spring),
M. horizontal (Andorra Variegata, Andorra Compact),
M. scaly (Blue Star, Dream Joy),
M. siberian.

Columnar:

M. virginiana (Glauca),
M. chinensis (Obelisk, Keteleeri),
M. common (Constans Franklin, Columnaris, Sentinel),
M. rocky (Sky Rocket, Blue Arrow).

Fast growing:

M. virginiana (Glauca, Canaertii, Hetz),
M. medium (Mint Julep),
M. cossack (Rockery Gem, Hicksii, Blaue Donau),
M. chinensis (Obelisk, Spartan),
M. horizontal (Bar Harbor),
M. common (Gold Cone),
M. rocky (Moonglow, Skyrocket).

Blue:

M. scaly (Blue Star, Blue Carpet),
M. crowded (Blue Pacific),
M. rocky (Blue Heaven, Moonglow, Blue Arrow),
M. vulgare (Sterling Silver),
M. horizontal (Blue Chip, Blue Forest, Icee Blue),
M. chinensis (Blue Alps),
M. medium (Hetzii),
M. cossack (Blue Donau).

Video about the variety of types and varieties of juniper

Universal junipers, in all their variety of shapes, sizes and colors, find wide application in landscaping. Tall plants decorate parks, alleys and gardens. Columnar junipers, directed upward, have no equal as vertical landscape elements that expand space.

Medium-sized and low-growing varieties are surprisingly decorative in the design of a personal plot - near a rocky hill and lawn, in solitary planting and in groups, as living multi-colored carpets and textured accents in a mixborder.

Any corner of the garden or summer cottage can be decorated with unpretentious and beautiful junipers. In modern landscape design they have become popular and loved due to their various shapes, colors, plasticity and unpretentiousness. Any design idea can be easily realized with the help of these conifers, which cut perfectly. On your site you can plant a lush bush or a spreading tree, creeping ivy or a columnar monolith. There are more than 70 species in the juniper genus. In this article we will talk about the most popular and low-maintenance species and varieties.

Frost-resistant species of junipers

These types of junipers are most often have large habitats. These can be large shrubs growing in light coniferous forests, or small trees found in the undergrowth of deciduous forests.

Common juniper: photos and varieties

A tree or shrub up to 12 meters high can have a variety of shapes. It is distinguished by reddish-brown shoots and flaky bark. The shiny, prickly and narrow lanceolate needles are 14-16 mm long. Blue-black cones with a bluish coating reach 5-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in the second or third year.

Common juniper, resistant to frost and urban air pollution can grow on poor sandy loams. The shrub has about a hundred varieties, which differ in height, color of needles, shape and diameter of the crown. The most popular varieties are:

Pyramid tree native to North America can reach up to 10 m in height. Due to their resistance to adverse factors, rock junipers are in great demand in areas with hot climates. With their help, tall hedges and various coniferous compositions are created. The most unpretentious and known are two varieties:

Red cedar

This coniferous plant can rightfully be considered the most unpretentious and resistant among all types of junipers. In nature he grows along river banks and on windswept mountain slopes. Virginia juniper wood is resistant to rotting. In this regard, it is used to make pencils, and the plant itself is called the “pencil tree”. It is drought-resistant, frost-resistant and tolerates partial shade.

Varieties of this type of juniper are easily propagated by grafting, cuttings and seeds. Every year a large number of cones ripen on the tree, from which seeds can be obtained. After stratification, the seeds are sown in the ground and are an excellent planting material for creating a hedge. Most often used to decorate gardens and parks. seven varieties of juniper virginiana:

The Gray Owl variety is a shrub with silver-gray needles and gracefully drooping branches. Grows up to one and a half meters. The width of its crown reaches two meters. A large number of cones berries add additional decorativeness to the shrub. It tolerates pruning well, loves sunny areas, and is frost-resistant.
The Hetz variety is a plant with bluish needles that grows up to 2 meters. It can be 2-3 meters wide. Suitable only for large gardens as it quickly grows in width and height. Resistant to almost any weather conditions.
The Pendula variety is a spreading tree up to 15 m high. Its “weeping” branches are covered with green needles with a bluish tint.
The Burkii variety is a fast-growing, pyramidal shrub, the height of which reaches 5-6 m. At the age of ten years, with a crown diameter of 1.5 m, it has a height of 3 m. It is overgrown with non-thorny needles of a green-blue hue.
The Ganaertii variety is an oval-columnar dense tree that grows up to 5-7 m. The branches are covered with dark green needles. In autumn, countless blue-gray cones are formed on the juniper.
The Glauca variety is a columnar-shaped tree up to 5 m high. It branches densely and is distinguished by its silvery colored needles.
The Blue Cloud variety is a dwarf form of juniper virginiana. It has a height of 0.4-0.5 m, a crown width of up to 1.5 m. Long branches are covered with small gray needles with a blue tint.

Medium junipers: varieties

Shrubs with a wide variety of colors and habit, characterized by good resistance to unfavorable growing conditions. The most popular varieties:

Chinese junipers: photos and varieties

Slow growing pyramidal trees, growing in China, Japan, Korea and the Primorsky Territory. Their height can reach up to 20 m, so bonsai are often formed from them. They love moist, fairly fertile soils. They tolerate drought well.

Some varieties of Chinese juniper are spreading bushes and are suitable for decorating small areas:

Cossack junipers

Most often this winter-hardy, creeping shrubs, which grow naturally in many areas of Asia and in the forests of Europe. They are often used to strengthen slopes because they are undemanding to the soil, light-loving and drought-resistant. Their varieties differ in needle color, habit and size:

Juniper horizontal

A North American plant species that can be used to decorate retaining walls and as a ground cover plant. The most popular varieties:

The Limeglow variety is a plant that grows up to only 0.4 m in height and grows up to one and a half meters wide. Its branches are strewn with beautiful, bright golden-yellow needles, which allows the shrub to be used as an accent for any composition in the garden. Does not grow well in heavy soils and prefers well-lit areas.
The Blue Forest variety is a dwarf shrub 0.3 m high and 1.5 m wide. Young shoots grow vertically on its creeping crown, creating the impression of a blue miniature forest. The color of juniper is especially bright and original in mid-summer.
The Blue Chip variety is one of the most beautiful creeping junipers. A bush with horizontal shoots spreading in different directions with slightly raised ends looks like a thick silver-blue carpet. In winter, the needles change color and become purple.
The Andorra Variegata variety is a dwarf shrub 0.4 m high. The cushion-shaped crown grows up to one and a half meters. Juniper is distinguished by bright green needles with creamy splashes in the summer, and purplish-violet needles in winter.

A drought-resistant plant with low soil fertility requirements, it grows naturally in China and on the slopes of the Eastern Himalayas. In landscape design, wide-spreading varieties with silver needles are used:

Nothing will clean and freshen the air in your garden quite like planting junipers in it. They will add their shapes and color to the garden comfort, beauty and originality. You can plant a huge tree, a tiny shrub, or make a composition from them. Any of the varieties and types of juniper will easily fit into the landscape design of a small summer cottage or large garden.

Juniper and its varieties and types

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.

Latin name: Juniperus squamata.

Family: Cypress.

Scaly juniper is an evergreen shrub of the cypress family with a spreading prickly crown, which reaches a height of 0.5 to 1.5 m. The mountains of China, the island of Taiwan, and the Eastern Himalayas are considered its homeland. It has been known in culture since 1824.

Scaly juniper is a coniferous plant. Most often it has dark brown bark and noble gray-blue needles. Juniper usually grows on fertile soils, but sometimes excessive waterlogging can be detrimental to it. The berries of the plant are black and shiny cones, similar in size to a pea, ripening the following year, in the month of May.

This coniferous shrub usually grows with pines and heathers, but also gets along well with roses, cereals, and various perennials. The plant is unpretentious and tolerates winter cold well, but in the spring it must be fed and watered abundantly.

Scaly juniper grows very slowly. This is a very light-loving plant. Among other things, it also perfectly performs a soil-protecting and water-protecting role.

Juniper has more than 60 species, which mainly grow in temperate zones. Conventionally, they can be divided into three subgenera:

The first, the most common subgenus, which includes Cossack Juniper, Chinese Juniper, Rock Juniper, Scaly Juniper, and Virginia Juniper.

The second subgenus includes common, coastal and hard juniper.

The third subgenus is the smallest, as it includes only Stone Stone Juniper.

Scaly juniper also has many different types, but the most common of them are still:

Blue carpet (Blue Carpet) is a dwarf plant, no more than 30 cm in height with a flat crown. This variety is most often recommended for planting in sunny places.

- “Meyeri” is a creeping shrub. Its height also reaches up to 30 cm, and its width up to 1.5 m. The needles have a slightly bluish-white tint.

Blue star (Blue Star) is a low-growing shrub. It is perfect for creeping plantings, creating original garden compositions and borders. This low-growing plant tolerates almost any conditions, including it does not have any special requirements for the soil.

Scaly juniper is a very beautiful ornamental plant. Due to its varied colors, it is most often used to decorate landscapes. It looks great both on alpine slides and for creating groups and various borders in gardens and parks.

This coniferous shrub does not tolerate replanting very well, so it is better to use a “transfer” (together with a lump of earth) so as not to damage the root system. For planting, choose open areas with sufficient sunlight. The soil for planting should be light and ventilated. After planting, do not press the soil around the plant under any circumstances; it will gradually settle on its own.

Caring for Scaly Juniper is simple: it must be watered regularly and preferably sprayed. For spraying, you should choose early morning or late evening so that the plant does not get burned. On very hot days it is better to shade it, otherwise the coniferous shrub will burn.