Juniper Trees - Fairy Tale Trees For Real Landscapes.
by: Liz Roberts

Impress your kids by converting your yard into a fairy tale forest.

How, you ask?

By planting juniper trees - the fragrant fir trees immortalized by the Brothers Grimm in their stories. These are beautiful and hardy additions to any landscape whether they soar sixty feet or grow a petite three feet. Their beauty magically turns any landscape into an enchanted forest.

Junipers are sturdy trees. They can survive in pollution and aridity, making them even perfect for cityscapes. The larger trees do best in bright sunlight. If you have to plant them in shade, make sure it’s only partial. Dense shade can cause junipers to become thin and leggy. Junipers are best planted in the fall.(or early winter if you live in a mild climate) and should be balled or burlapped. Remember these evergreens come in a variety of shapes and sizes so map out your tree locations before actually planting them. Do you want them as hedges, screens or fillers for your back yard? Plan accordingly as to what looks best and also for your landscape’s needs. Junipers are dioecious , being either the pollen producing male or the flower and berry producing female. If you’re mapping out , remember to include both sexes for better results. Depending upon your area, wild junipers are somewhat common. Don’t worry if you just buy one sex. There should be the opposite sex growing somewhere in close proximity.

What kind of juniper do you want to plant?

There are large junipers such as the Gray Gleam or the Blue Heaven which can grow anywhere from six to twenty-five feet. These are best located towards the edge of your property, providing a shady grove for backyard entertaining. Similar junipers such as the Hetz Chinese and the Pfitzer Chinese make excellent screens because of their branch span. The former is a very quick growing tree, reaching a height of 15 ‘ in a very short time span. Its’ needles are a striking bluish gray, growing at a 45 degree angle. The Pfitzer Chinese is the most widely planted . Landscapers like the fact that it’s a fast grower, blossoming into the dimensions of 5’ wide by 10’ high. It has sharp feathery gray green needles and berries. It is perfect to plant around a built in pool or play area for privacy. The Hollywood juniper, considered more of a shrub than a tree, makes a natural barrier as well against animals and neighbors. It grows 20’ high by 20’ wide in an irregular upright way . It makes a good tree for oceanfront lawns because it has a high tolerance to salt air. It is the most unusual looking of all the junipers because its’ branches have a twisted look. The Ozark white cedar, or ashe juniper soars to 20’ or more. Its’ foliage is greenish gray while its berries are blue. This is a very fussy tree, preferring dry, chalky soil. It has a delicate gray bark that automatically shreds when touched. It makes for a picturesque scene because it’s trunk always splits into two separate branches at the base. This is not a tree to be planted around the allergy prone. The male ashe juniper produces a potent pollen that can cause reactions. A better choice for sensitive gardeners is the Eastern red cedar(yes this is a member of the juniperus family too). It tops an impressive 20 to 30 feet and a sweeping 8 to 20’ wide. Its’ dark green foliage takes on a reddish tinge during the colder months. The females produce striking colored berries ranging from deep blue to silver. Another plus is that its’foliage and wood are highly aromatic.This tree can tolerate drought and poor soil, even thriving in rocky barren terrains. The Eastern red cedar’s cousin , the Southern red cedar is similarly hardy. It makes a good fence for waterfront properties because of its’ spreading limbs. They fan out to become a wind resistant barrier along with being unaffected by salt air.

If you’re looking for a smaller fence then consider the Gold Coast juniper. It grows 3’ by 5’ and is covered with soft, lacy golden yellow foliage. A similar one is the 4’ by 4’ Armstrong. The Mint Julep which makes a nice hedge sports mint green leaves (hence the name) and grows 6’ by 6’ in a natural topiary shape of a vase. These are considered shrubs more than trees and would be better planted by a house or along a walkway. Smaller junipers include the 3' by'5' Blue Star. It resembles a mound, having silver blue foliage which darkens during the winter months. It would look best lining a pathway or surrounding a house.

Junipers are good trees for any outdoor bonsai garden. They also look beautiful as a rock garden’s back border. Unlike their tree cousins, these junipers require partial shade and shelter from strong winds which could uproot them. Bonsai junipers can be left in outdoors in freezing winter temperatures (unlike some other bonsai varieties). . Make sure that they (and their pots) are planted in mulched flower beds with a layer of more mulch covering the surrounding soil. This should be applied evenly. Keep the soil slightly dry between watering. If there is no rain during a period where the temperature is above 60 degrees, then water your juniper on a daily basis. If the temperature drops, reduce this to a once a week watering.

Juniper bonsais require fertilizing from April to October. Use a water soluble fertilizer which is suitable for acid loving plants. You should apply the full dosage monthly or half the dose on a bi-monthly feeding. You can use your fingers to prune any of the new growths. Do not use scissors. This will result in the cut needles turning brown. Branch removal should be done with concave cutters( special long handled clippers used only for bonsai gardening). You can also wire the juniper branches for special shaping however be very careful. Inexperienced gardeners could break branches if wiring incorrectly.

Junipers of all sizes and shapes make perfect additions to any landscape. These trees can be used as fragrant fences or ornaments in a traditional bonsai garden. They are truly from a fairy tale, changing an ordinary yard into a fairy tale one.