February Shrub of the Month-Junipers
Juniperus spp.
By February, we are all craving color, ANY color. There’s still a long way to go before most gardens explode into yummy yellows and passionate purples. One of the best ways to obtain winter interest, and therefore, color, is with some of the many color varieties of junipers like the Gold lace juniper pictured above.
Like our fellow Plant of the Month, the Taylor juniper, many ‘ordinary’ green species of juniper get a rusty, bronze tint in winter.
February Tree of the Month-Taylor Juniper (garden-lou.com)
But what’s exciting is the blue or yellow foliaged junipers available these days. But wait, there’s more…many come in all sorts of fun shapes and sizes that can meet unique year-round needs in the garden that herbaceous perennials cannot.
Need something to drape down and hide that ugly concrete wall year-round? There’s a juniper for that. Need something tall enough to hide your unsightly foundation but not block your windows? There are junipers for that too.
Full sun makes every juniper happy. In the shade, they will get leggy and sparse. The exception is some bright yellow junipers which can get a little scorch in too much sun. A little afternoon shade will prevent it. Junipers are not picky about soil as long as it’s well-drained. As a long-term juniper hater, I’ve recently learned to appreciate them. Face it; they are one tough and adaptable plant, which is why they have been around for so long.
As with most junipers, the main problems are Cedar-apple rust and bagworms. Thankfully, the lower-growing shrub forms of juniper are not as afflicted as their taller cousins.
What I love about this plant;
-The evergreen foliage and winter interest.
-Deer resistant!
-Tolerant of poor soils and a variety of conditions
-Drought resistant once established.
-The range of sizes, colors, and shapes.
-The attractive fruit on the females.
What’s not so great.
-The dreaded bagworms and cedar-apple rust galls. Be vigilant about checking for both and prune as needed. NO NEED TO SPRAY!
Words and photos by Jo Batzer
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com, All rights reserved.
