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Blue juniper is a variety of coniferous shrubs that differ in color. Juniper belongs to the Cypress family. Plants are common in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Some species are adapted for growth in the polar zone, others have chosen the mountain tropics.
Coniferous crops can grow in the form of a single or multi-stemmed tree, with vertical raised branches or with shoots creeping along the ground. Evergreen shrubs stand out with a whole palette of colors. The needles are green, light green, variegated, gray, yellow and blue.
Variety of blue juniper species
Juniper with a blue tint looks noble and majestic. Gardeners and landscape designers prefer shrubs with silver-bluish needles. Features of junipers with blue berries:
- attractive appearance;
- retain color regardless of the season of the year;
- the possibility of using parks, rockeries, rock gardens for landscaping;
- they are planted on the banks of artificial reservoirs, slopes, borders, lawns;
- appropriately complement and fit perfectly into landscape compositions.
According to external characteristics, blue junipers are divided into tall and short, ground-blooded and upright, with a spreading or compact crown.
Varieties of blue juniper in landscape design
Coniferous shrubs favorably decorate the garden, summer cottage, park alleys. Create a calm elegant landscape. Vertical blue junipers are best represented as a hedge, which will allow you to disguise the building, isolate yourself from your neighbors.
To create a dense carpet with a clear structure, creeping varieties of blue junipers are planted in the plots. This is a kind of alternative to a green lawn, but requires more attention to care. Horizontal plants are advantageously combined with phloxes, carnations, hydrangeas, lilacs, cinquefoils. In general, blue junipers look impressive in photos of landscapes, in plots. They are able to give colors to the winter garden.
Blue varieties of juniper
Junipers Blue have a bright blue, beautiful needle color. In the garden, ground-blooded plants are often planted under tall bushes. They set off the green color of other coniferous or deciduous shrubs. For vertical accents, rocky species with a columnar or pyramidal crown shape are chosen.
Vertical varieties of blue juniper
As a rule, these shrubs have a pyramidal shape. They come from North America. Height can reach 10 m. Coniferous shrubs look like cypress. The branches are tightly pressed to the base. In any landscape composition, a vertical juniper will look interesting. Demanded in regions with a hot climate.
Juniper rock Skyrocket
In 1957, the variety was bred by Dutch breeders. Elegant tall shrub has green-blue needles. The structure is scaly, dense. Needle tips are noticeable on young shoots. Shrub height 6-8 m. Crown width 1 m. It develops well in loamy soils. Water stagnation is not allowed. The variety is frost-resistant, drought- and wind-resistant. Does not tolerate heavy snowfalls. Suitable for hedges, decoration of front porches.
Blue Arrow
This is an improved variety of the previous shrub. The crown is dense, the color is bright. The form is columnar. Height 5 m, width 0,7 m. Shoots with scaly needles are pressed against the trunk. Branches grow almost from the bottom. The color is deep blue. The plant tolerates frosts, it is not whimsical in care. Grows well in well-drained, sunny sites. Easily lends itself to a spiral haircut. It goes well with other cultures, takes up little space on the site.
Blueheaven
Rocky view with a dense conical shape of the crown. The color of the needles is sky blue, which does not fade all year round. Height 3-5 m, width – 1,5 m. Shoots raised, cylindrical. The needles are scaly. This type of blue juniper is highly frost-resistant. The soil composition does not matter. Rapid growth is observed on fertile, drained soils. Prefers a sunny location. In partial shade, the crown becomes looser.
Springbank
The vertical variety was bred at the end of the 2th century. Grows up to XNUMX m in height. The shape of the crown is narrow-pointed. Shoots are flexible, deviated from each other. The ends are filiform. The needles are scaly, bright blue. The shrub grows quickly. Easily tolerates periods of drought and severe cold. Propagated by cuttings. Suitable for group plantings.
Wichitablue
The variety appeared in 1976 in the USA. Upright variety with intensely colored blue needles. The crown is wide-eyed. The shoots fit snugly, directed upwards. The height of the bush is 4 m. Landing on lighted, flat areas is preferable. The close location of groundwater is unacceptable.
Blue varieties of creeping juniper
Plants of horizontal type are about 60 items. All of them differ in the shape of the needles, long creeping shoots, creeping branches. Grow slowly. Does not tolerate high humidity. Use blue low junipers to decorate gardens, terraces, garden plots.
The Wiltons
The American species of blue juniper became known in 1914. The creeping shrub has a height of 20 cm and a diameter of 2 m. The branches grow along the ground, forming a continuous cover. Shoots intertwined in the shape of a star. Shoots are dense, obliquely directed. Over time, they build up on each other. Gray-blue needles fit snugly to the branches. Needle shape.
Blue Forest
Compact horizontal variety with short skeletal shoots. Lateral shoots grow vertically. The needles are protruding, needle-shaped, dense. Color is deep blue. Grows up to 50 cm in height. When properly shaped, an elegant appearance appears.
Bar harbor
Crawling variety of blue juniper with dense needles. Created in 1930 by American breeders. Branches and side shoots are strongly spreading on the sides. Sometimes the plant is used as a ground crop. The height of the bush is 30 cm. The needles are small, needle-shaped, loosely pressed to the branches. After the first frost, the blue hue changes to purple.
Blue Chip
The variety was cultivated in 1945 in Denmark. Skeletal branches are rare. The edges of the shoots are directed upwards almost vertically, resembling a star in shape. A low form of juniper with a raised middle. The needles are mostly needle-like, but scaly is found. The shade is gray-blue. There are thorns. The blue ground-blooded juniper does not tolerate excess moisture, so it is planted in a hole with a mandatory layer of drainage.
Icee Blue
A low shrub only 15 cm high. It has a significant annual growth. The crown grows up to 2,5 m in diameter. Branches creeping. Shoots are dense, long, form a continuous carpet. The needles are dense, silver-blue. Turns purple in winter. It is recommended to plant the plant in sandy soil, or add baking powder to clay soils. Adapted blue juniper to arid and cold growing regions.
Blue Moon
In adulthood, this creeping bush reaches 30 cm. The needles are bluish-gray. The branches lie on the surface of the earth, they can take root on their own. Shoots are thin and long. In the summer months they are bluish in color, turning brown in winter. Blue juniper forms dense spherical webs.
Glauca
Crawling shrub with tightly pressed branches. Lush shoots form a fluffy pillow. Needle needle type. The color changes from blue to steel. With the advent of cold weather, the color remains unchanged. Prefers fertile soils.
Winter Blue
Beautiful ground-blooded blue juniper. Grows in any soil. Decorative qualities are not lost in well-lit, sunny areas. The color of the needles is silvery in summer, and in winter it becomes bright blue.
Planting and caring for blue juniper
Blue junipers do not tolerate transplanting well, due to the highly branched root system. Therefore, it is important to immediately choose a permanent place for an evergreen shrub.
Shrubs with blue needles are undemanding to the composition of the soil. However, it is better to plant them in sunny areas with well-drained soil. A moderate lack of lighting reduces the decorative properties of the shrub. The complete absence of sunlight leads to yellowing of the needles and loss of crown density.
Blue juniper planting rules
It is advisable to purchase blue juniper seedlings with a closed root system, in plastic containers. Before buying, visually inspect the plant for damage, signs of rot or other diseases.
The shrub grows quickly in sandy, neutral or slightly acidic soils. Clay, heavy soils are not suitable for planting Blue Juniper.
- 2-3 days before the intended planting, holes are dug 60-70 cm deep.
- A drainage layer of 20 cm of broken brick or crushed stone is placed in the prepared pit.
- At 20 cm, they are filled with a nutrient mixture of soddy soil, peat, sand, combining the components in equal proportions. This layer will contribute to better root penetration and development.
- Immediately before the procedure, a bag of vermicompost diluted with perlite and pine needles is poured into the recess. Substances will add lightness to the substrate.
- A blue juniper seedling is installed in the center of the recess. You can not deepen the root neck.
- The soil is not rammed, it is plentifully moistened from above with warm water.
- Mulch the near-stem circle with sawdust, hay or straw. Layer thickness 3-5 cm.
Care for juniper with blue needles
Caring for blue juniper is no more difficult than caring for other conifers. The plant reacts sharply to excess moisture in the soil. In hot summer, one water procedure per month is enough. On hot days, you can additionally spray the bush with water from a spray bottle.
Fertilizers are applied in the spring. They mainly use nitroammophoska – 20 g per sq. m or other minerals, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Junipers are not very fond of loosening the soil, especially blue ones. Their roots are close enough to the surface of the earth, careless movement can violate their integrity. Therefore, the trunk circles are loosened no deeper than 5 cm. Or they do not carry out this procedure at all, but replace it with mulching.
Curly varieties or hedge bushes need regular pruning. Their crown is formed several times a year. Low creeping juniper with blue needles does not require additional pruning, except for sanitary. Perform it in early spring before the onset of the sap flow period. Remove dry, damaged shoots. Cut off the frozen tips on the bush.
Preparing the Blue Juniper for Winter
The first two years, young shrubs cover. Use spruce branches, agrofiber or burlap. In the spring, a plastic box or cardboard box is put on the seedling to protect the plant from sunburn. Horizontal varieties are not afraid of snow, on the contrary, it serves as a heater. For vertical varieties of juniper, snowfall is dangerous. To protect the branches from breakage and rain pressure, they are tied with a rope.
Conclusion
Blue juniper in terms of care is practically no different from other varieties. Easily amenable to decorative pruning, but does not tolerate excessively wet soil. Poorly tolerates transplants in adulthood. Junipers brought from the forest do not take root at all. The landscape composition will be harmonious if it contains at least three coniferous shrubs of different heights, shapes and colors.
