Junipers are real work-horses in the garden. They deliver great looks and ask virtually nothing in return. When it comes to creating clipped specimens, hedges or screening, they will do the job in difficult situations, be it cold, drought or salt-spray. We were really impressed when we first saw the Emerald Feather™ Juniper, a relatively new addition to the range of upright junipers. We loved the lush, soft foliage, so different from the rough and prickly leaves of many others, and we admired their rich emerald-green color. Although fast-growing, it doesn’t grow too tall or wide either, so it’s ideal for smaller gardens and smaller spaces. To top it off it carries a big crop of handsome blue berries, which really add to its decorative qualities.

Growing the Emerald Feather™ Juniper

Size and Appearance

The Emerald Feather Juniper is a columnar evergreen tree, growing to 12 or 15 feet tall, and staying just a few feet wide. It has a natural conical shape, which can be emphasized by trimming. The branches stay right to the ground for many years, especially if trimmed, and it has a wonderful neat form. The leaves are of the ‘adult’ type – they are small scales that cling closely to the young stems, forming clusters that are soft to the touch. That makes this a great tree where you pass by it a lot, since it won’t be scratchy or rough. When brushed or crushed the leaves have a very pleasant, pungent, ‘cedar’ smell. Many other junipers have ‘juvenile’ leaves, which are pointed and sharp, growing outwards from the stems. Already dense, the foliage will be even denser if trimmed, building a very solid, smooth green ‘wall’ you will love to see and touch. You can trim this tree into any upright form, as well as into spirals, pom-poms and other topiary forms.

Untrimmed trees, or trees that are only trimmed every few years, will develop crops of juniper berries (not of the edible kind), which ripen in late summer to become rich blue or purple, with a soft gray powdery coating. These make a beautiful display against the green foliage. Since the berries form at the ends of the branches, too much trimming will remove them while they are developing. To be sure of a big berry display, we recommend planting a Hillspire Juniper in your garden as well, as this male tree will provide plenty of pollen for your Emerald Featheri Juniper.

Using Emerald Feather™ Juniper in Your Garden

The Emerald Feather™ Juniper is unbeatable for creating trimmed upright evergreen specimens anywhere you want them in your garden. But you don’t have to trim it to enjoy it, because this tree will naturally grow into an upright conical form without trimming. It will just have a less formal and neat look. Since it is a selection of a native tree it is perfect to add an accent to a natural or wild garden, and its drought-resistance makes it ideal for xeric or ‘water-wise’ gardens too. For hedges and screens plant in a row, spacing your bushes 2 or 3 feet apart for a solid line, or further apart for more open screening.

Hardiness

The Emerald Feather™ Juniper grows easily in zone 3 without any winter damage at all. Young trees should be soaked in late fall as a precaution, until they are well established. It also grows well in all but the hottest zones, thriving even in northern Florida and the hot, dry western states.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is the best location for the Emerald Feather™ Juniper, but it will grow in light partial shade too. Any well-drained soil is suitable, including rocky sands and alkaline soils. Wetness is the only soil condition it doesn’t thrive in. New plants should be watered regularly until they are established, but once they are this tree is very drought resistant. It is also resistant to salt spray and grows well in coastal areas. It is untouched by pests and diseases, or deer and rabbits, and frankly this tree is pretty indestructible.

Maintenance and Pruning

New trees should be watered weekly for the first season, but after that it doesn’t need further care at all. It can be trimmed at any time from late spring to early fall, and as often as you wish to get the look you want. Use sharp tools to avoid browning the ends of the stems. Free of pests and diseases, it is also ignored by deer and rabbits, and resistant to salt spray from the ocean or highways.

History and Origin of the Emerald Feather™ Juniper

Red Cedar is a tree native to North America, called Juniperus virginiana. It grows across a large area of the east, from Canada into Florida and west to the Great Plains. It is a tough tree, often seen in abandoned fields and rough areas, which tells us how reliable and rugged it will be in our gardens. The variety called ‘J.N. Select Green’ was discovered by Mike Yanny, a Wisconsin horticulturist and developer of new plants, as a unique tree among a batch of seedlings. His company, JN PlantSelections LLC, has released it with the trademark name of Emerald Feather™.

Buying the Emerald Feather™ Juniper at The Tree Center

If you love rich green, you will adore the Emerald Feather™ Juniper, however you choose to grow it. This tough tree is very easy to grow, and ideal for busy people with limited time for their gardens – isn’t that all of us? Order now, because this tree has quickly become very popular, and our supplies are limited.