Green Mound Juniper

Spreading junipers are among the best ways to cover areas of ground in front of larger shrubs, or for covering slopes, banks and open areas. They thrive in sun, dryness and poor soil, and they need no particular care to turn boring into beautiful. These plants come in a range of colors, but everyone agrees that one of the most beautiful, easy to grow, and versatile, is the Green Mound Juniper. This carpet of elegant gray-green foliage forms a broad mat of dense branches, excluding weeds and giving your garden a mature and graceful look.

The Green Mound Juniper is low growing, rising no more than 6 to 9 inches above the ground, but it is wide-spreading, covering an area 4 to 6 feet across within 10 years. It grows about 6 inches a year, with the horizontal stems increasing in length, and new shoots growing closer to the center, increasing its density and the tightness of the plant. Unlike most other spreading junipers, this one does not form a hump in the center – instead it remains flat all the way across the plant, even when mature.

All junipers can produce two kinds of leaves, adult leaves on older growth, which are scale-like and press closely to the stem, and juvenile leaves, which are triangular and pointed, growing at an angle from the stems in whorls. Most junipers only have juvenile leaves on young growth, to protect tiny seedlings from being eaten by grazing animals. The Green Mound Juniper has juvenile leaves all its life, because it stays close to the ground and so it always needs protection. These leaves are tightly packed around the stems, about one-third of an inch long, and they are a soft gray-green to blue-green color, blending beautifully with all other plant colors in your garden. This plant may also produce small blue-black berries along the stems in fall. These are not edible, and they are usually taken by birds in winter.

Use the Green Mound Juniper to cover the front areas of your beds, blocking weed growth and making a lovely carpet beneath your larger shrubs and trees. Grow it trailing down banks, where it prevents soil erosion, or let it spill over walls. Planted where beds meet driveways and terraces, it will soften the hard edges and integrate these features into your garden. It will flow like a river around rocks and boulders, turning barren sections into lovely features. Use it in large planters and pots to cover the soil under specimen trees and spill out of the planter in a charming way. For ground-cover, space your plants 2 or 3 feet apart in each direction, placing the plants randomly, not in rows, for a natural look.

The Green Mound Juniper grows in all but the coldest zones, all the way into areas with hot and humid, or hot and dry summers. It should be planted in full sun for the best growth and the densest foliage. It will grow in all kinds of soil, from sands and gravels to heavy clay, but the soil must be well-drained, and not regularly wet. Do not plant in shady, low-lying spots, or in the shade of big evergreen trees. Once established this plant is very drought tolerant, and normally needs no additional watering, even during extended dry spells. so it is a great choice for hot, dry parts of your garden. It tolerates air pollution, making it the perfect choice for urban gardens. It is normally free of pests and diseases, if grown in well-drained soil and a sunny place. Deer and rabbits leave it alone, and no trimming is needed to keep it dense and low. If you do need to shorten branches, trim back to a small shoot on the top of the stem you are cutting. Do not cut back into branches that have no leaves or shoots on them – they will not re-sprout. It is best to trim a little regularly, if needed, rather than wait and try to cut it back hard.

The Green Mound Juniper is a selected form of the Japanese garden juniper, Juniperus procumbens. This plant is closely related to the Chinese juniper, Juniperus chinensis, and it is sometimes considered to be simply a natural variety of that species. It grows in mountain areas of Japan, and selected forms have been cultivated there for centuries. In 1922, D. Hill Nurseries, in Dundee, Illinois, brought back a plant from Japan that was lower, bushier, and more attractive than the rather straggly wild plant already known. It was probably being grown in gardens, and when it was introduced in America it was given the name ‘Nana’, which means ‘small’. At some time since then somebody decided to re-name this plant ‘Green Mound’, and that is the name it is usually sold under today. Our plants are grown from stem pieces, not seed, to preserve the unique qualities of this plant, which make it so suitable for every garden. There is always a lot of interest in ground-cover plants, because they save so much work, and make our gardens look beautiful. Place your order for the Green Mound Juniper today, while our stock is still available.