Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Japanese Shore Juniper

Description:

Feathery branches of sharp blue-green needles; excellent as a fast spreading groundcover or in containers; also used in dune stabilization; good heat tolerance

Ornamental Features

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the garden for its broadly spreading habit of growth. It has bluish-green evergreen foliage. The needles remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.