The foliage is aromatic and an eye-catching blue-green hue through the spring and summer.
In the winter, it often takes on a purplish tint.
It’s best to plant creeping juniper in the spring, although fall planting is also acceptable.
Once established, it doesn’t have any complicated care requirements and grows vigorously.
Light
Creeping juniper needs full sunat least six hours of direct sunlight each dayto thrive.
If planted in a shaded location, it will not spread or have vibrant color.
Soil
Part of the appeal of creeping jupiter is the fact that it’s so adaptable.
While it has a preference for sandy soil with light to medium moisture, it isn’t particularly fussy.
It will grow in poor quality, dry, compacted soils where other species won’t.
The only thing it asks is that the soil be well-drained.
Overly wet conditionscan result in root rot.
Water
Thisdrought-tolerant shrubcopes in hot, arid conditions well.
During this period a once a week watering should be sufficient.
Fertilizer
Creeping juniper doesn’t need much fertilizer, and thrives even in poor soil.
It should not be fertilized at all for the first year after planting.
After that, if desired, you might apply an all-purpose fertilizer once per year in the fall.
Types of Creeping Juniper
There are over one hundred cultivars from theJuniperus horizontalisspecies.
Some of the most popular cultivars are outlined below.
Pruning
Creeping juniper does not require regular pruning.
The male flower is a cone-like structure with yellow-brown scales.
These are generally 1/10 to 1/8 inches long.
Female flowers are around half that size, have a bud-like shape, and are white to pink.
Both male and female creeping junipers produce their flowers in the spring.
The female flowers will then eventually produce blue-gray, small berries, each containing two or three seeds.
It can take up to two years for the berries to mature.
Not all cultivars reliably produce berries, however.
Fungi usually take hold on plants that are receiving too much water or are in an overly shady location.
Trim away any affected foliage.
Although creeping juniper is often grown as a groundcover, it cannot withstand foot traffic.
Plant this spreading shrub where it won’t cover walkways or be stepped on.
Although some varieties of creeping juniper can spread as much as 20 feet, the majority remain much smaller.
This isn’t a plant that is prone to aggressive spreading or invasive behaviors.
