common juniper
Juniperus communis
USDA zones2 to 7
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size5 to 15 feet tall9 to 12 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Tree
- Bloom color
- Non-flowering
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a shrub for low maintenance beds, woodland edges, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 2, or down to -50°F (-46°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to wet soil of most types. Birds eat the berries, and the berries give gin its distinctive aroma and tang. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. Watch for juniper blight.
Pairs well with Colorado blue spruce, Red fescue, and Woods rose.
Native range
Temperate northern Hemisphere.