Japanese garden juniper

Questions about Japanese garden juniper

Does Japanese garden juniper need sun or shade?

Japanese garden juniper grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Japanese garden juniper grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

How far apart should Japanese garden juniper be planted?

3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Japanese garden juniper plants do I need?

At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is Japanese garden juniper poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like Japanese garden juniper?

Japanese garden juniper comes from Western and southern Korea, southern Japan to Nansei-shoto. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Creeping juniper 'Blue Rug': the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, 8 in wider.
• Cliff green: the same job in a bed; 16 in narrower, wants average soil.
• Bearberry: the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, 16 in narrower.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Japanese garden juniper?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What does Japanese garden juniper look like in winter?

Japanese garden juniper keeps its blue-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.