Chinese Juniper

Chinese juniper is the evergreen conifer that has been shaped, sheared, and selected into more landscape forms than almost any other species, from ground-hugging spreaders to upright pyramids, from blue-gray to bright gold. The wild species grows as a tree to fifty feet, but the cultivars planted in Western Washington landscapes range from two-foot spreading forms to fifteen-foot upright specimens. Native to China, Mongolia, and Japan, it has been a foundation of landscape design for a century because it tolerates heat, drought, poor soil, and neglect with equal grace.

In Western Washington, Chinese juniper performs well in full sun with well-drained soil. It does not tolerate shade or wet clay, both produce thin, open growth and invite disease. 'Sea Green' is the standard spreading form: dense, arching, dark green, reliable. 'Gold Coast' provides bright gold foliage. 'Spartan' is one of the best upright, columnar forms for screens and vertical accents. Several diseases are tracked, including juniper tip blight, which causes dieback of branch tips during wet springs. Good air circulation and avoiding overhead irrigation reduce disease pressure. For a tough, adaptable evergreen that comes in virtually any form and size the landscape demands, Chinese juniper remains a mainstay.