Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

Sun Needs:

• Full sun
• Requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Tolerates heat and drought once established

Bloom Time:

• Not grown for flowers
• Produces small, inconspicuous pollen cones (male) and berry-like seed cones (female)

Size:

Height: 3 to 50 feet (depending on cultivar)
Width: 3 to 20 feet

Attributes:

• Evergreen with dense, scale-like foliage
• Wide variety of forms: upright, pyramidal, spreading, or groundcover
• Berry-like cones on female plants
• Drought- and salt-tolerant
• Excellent for hedges, screens, topiary, and bonsai
• Deer-resistant and low maintenance

Care Tips:

• Prefers well-drained soil; tolerates poor, sandy, or rocky soils
• Avoid wet or poorly drained conditions
• Water regularly during establishment; drought-tolerant afterward
• Prune to shape in late winter or early spring
• Space appropriately to allow air circulation and reduce disease risk

Pest Watch:

• Generally pest- and disease-resistant
• Watch for spider mites, bagworms, and blight in humid or crowded conditions