How to grow Common juniper

Juniperus communis · juniper, ground juniper

Prickly-needled evergreen conifer of cool and cold regions around the Northern Hemisphere, grown as a shrub 1.5–4.5 m tall or as a low spreading ground cover. Male and female cones grow on separate plants; female plants bear blue-black berry-like cones that take two or three years to ripen.

Common juniper — Photo: Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Type	Shrub
Family	Cupressaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	tolerates light frost
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	—	—	—
Flowering	—	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun.

Soil

Any well-drained soil, including poor and rocky ground; it dislikes heat combined with humidity.

Care

Water regularly until the plant is established; after that it is drought-tolerant and needs little extra water or fertiliser. Choose a place with room for its full size so air moves freely through the foliage, which helps prevent fungal disease.

Pests and diseases of Common juniper

Pear rust

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.