Botanical Name |
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star' |
Common Name |
Blue star juniper, flaky juniper, Himalayan juniper, singleseed juniper |
Plant Type |
Needled evergreen shrub |
Mature Size |
1 to 3 feet tall, 1.5 to 3 feet wide |
Sun Exposure |
Full sun |
Soil Type |
Sandy |
Soil pH |
7 to 7.5 |
Bloom Time |
None |
Flower Color |
None |
Hardiness Zones |
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Native Area |
Mountainous regions of Asia including the Himalayas, Afghanistan, and China |
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Growing
As dwarf shrubs, blue star junipers are effective specimens for very small spaces, such as in plantings for narrow patio areas or in foundation beds. For larger spaces, they can be used as edging plants or as ground covers. Because they are drought-tolerant once established, they are a good choice if you wish to include a dwarf shrub in your rock garden (they are not suited to small rock gardens but could work in larger ones). The bluish color of Blue Star juniper goes well with plants with golden foliage.
Plant new shrubs in a shallow, broad hole that is as deep as the root ball and three times as wide. Add some compost to the soil and replace the soil up to the base of the plant. Give the new plant a good watering. cover the ground around it with a 2-inch layer of mulch, but keep the mulch 4 inches away from the stem. Water new plants weekly during the first growing season.
Any disease or bug-pest problems will generally occur on these shrubs only in hot, humid regions. One such problem is spider mites. If you detect spider mites on your plant in time, you can simply hose the bush down with a very strong spray. This may knock the pests off. Check your bush regularly thereafter to ensure that the spider mites do not return. Repeat the hosing-down as needed. Deer do not eat blue star junipers (probably because the foliage is so bristly), making them a deer-resistant shrub.
Light
Plant this small evergreen bush in full sun. The blue star juniper does well in a variety of soil types, so long as they are well-drained, but its natural preference is for light, sandy soil. It does well in slightly alkaline soil.
Water
Make sure to water these dwarf evergreen shrubs properly their first year in the yard so that they can become established, then let them go. Water established plants occasionally when they look dry, or more often in extreme heat, keeping in mind this plant doesn't like overly wet conditions. They are relatively drought-tolerant shrubs once mature.
Temperature and Humidity
Having developed in the mountains of Asia, the blue star juniper will not do well in areas with high heat and humidity.
Fertilizer
You will only need to fertilize blue star juniper in the late winter or early spring of its first year. Use a general 10-10-10 fertilizer. Once established, it won't need routine fertilization. Fertilize your plants by applying compost to the soil.
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