Digging deeperPlant Library

Description:

A stunning groundcover evergreen for home landscape use, featuring steel blue foliage which takes on a purplish tinge in winter, wide spreading and ground-hugging; extremely adaptable and hardy; excellent for trailing over walls

Ornamental Features

Blue Rug Juniper is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the garden for its broadly spreading habit of growth. It has attractive silvery blue evergreen foliage. The scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and turn plum purple in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. It produces blue berries from late spring to late winter.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Rug Juniper is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Rug Juniper is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover

Planting & Growing

Blue Rug Juniper will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.