Juniper bushes are the most despised landscaping plant in existence. I know this to be true, because 75% of the time that I talk with a homeowner or property owner about renovating their landscape, they say something like “those Junipers have GOT to go!”.
Juniper bushes are common in older landscapes. Here they were not given adequate room, so they have been sheared off along the walkway.
Why is this? I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them) :
1) They were simply overused in the past. People are just tired of them and want something unique and new. And since they live for ages and rarely die, they are often the only living survivors guarding the front doors of homes in any older neighborhood.
2) They were not planted with enough room to grow. Many of the varieties get quite large after say, 20 years, and quickly outgrow the planting bed. Because they grow too large for their setting they require excessive pruning to keep them at a manageable size. This pruning then exposes all of the dead old growth inside the base of the plant- ugly!
3) The aforementioned prickliness. And good luck getting the baseball you were tossing around out of the center of that green monster.
Given these negatives, why then should you consider using Juniper plants in your landscape?
1) They require little water and are very well adapted to the western and southwestern United States. That is why in places like Eastern Colorado (where few woody plants survive, and water is a scarce resource) they are used by landowners and farmers for windbreaks. They are an excellent Xeriscape plant.
When used correctly, such as in this Denver Xeriscape, Junipers can be an attractive addition to the landscape.
2) They are long-lived plants. In some places native specimens have lived for several hundred years in the wild.
3) Given an appropriate amount of space, they require almost no maintenance.
4) They are evergreen, so they provide good winter interest. They can be used to add texture and scale to a landscape, and make terrific visual screens, hedges, and windbreaks.
5) There are many forms and colors available that offer endless design possibilities, ranging from narrow upright forms to low mat-forming spreading varieties, and everything in between. Colors can range from dark green, to blue-gray, to bright green, to yellow green, with some varieties changing to purplish-red shades in the winter months.
So, the next time you decide to tear out those old Juniper shrubs, consider re-introducing them into your new landscape design to enjoy all of the benefits these versatile plants have to offer.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
I laughed out loud when I read the title. OK, so what do you suggest I do with a partly brown juniper right next to the front door of my newly-purchased house?
Thanks for the comment! Does your juniper have room to grow, or is it already crowding the front door and/or walkway? If it does have room to grow, they may have simply over-pruned it. You might be able to thin it out a little to allow light into it’s interior branches, while also removing the brown parts. Then, if there is room, you could supplement it and take the attention away from it by surrounding it with other plants.
But, if it is too large and in too small of a space it might be time to remove it. I would be happy to give you some choices to replace it with- I would just need to know 1) where you are located, 2) how much sun does the area get, 3) how much water does the area get, and 4) the size of the space.
So many people are allergic to Juniper. What are you talking about get rid of it. It also stinks and rats love to use it as a hide out.
My Juniper bushes are at the end of my driveway and have been there for the past 16 years when planted. The poor things are in a fight for their lives. the branches are shrivering up and turing brown. The shape at the end of both sides of the driveway is enormous. due to the shrubs planted behind it they can only grow up and out. what can I do to try to save them? right now I have cut the majority of the brown off, am over watering them, and am using Miralce Grow!
Sheila,
I need a little bit more info to give you a good answer. Take a look at my comment above from April 6th- If you can answer the questions that I asked in that comment, then I can give you some ideas. Specifically, what City do you live in, and how much sun and water do they get?
Hi Matt,
Great website, thanks for the info! I have about 4-5 junipers on each side of my driveway that seem to be well over 10 years of age, and have just been left to grow since probably the very beginning. I live in a rural area on an acre so they have plenty of space, but now they have become long limbed and scraggly, about 6-7′ tall, but seemingly healthy otherwise. I said the same thing about ripping them out one day, but they do provide a nice privacy and driveway lining, if only they looked manicured. Plus all the other projects take precedence over messing with existing healthy low-maintenance plants…so my question is, how can I improve their look? I’ve been searching for pruning techniques online to no avail, I can’t afford to hire a professional, and I’d prefer to do it myself anyway, but knowing how bad hack jobs can turn out I’m afraid to touch them…plus I read a comment that if they’re cut too far back to just bare limbs, the foliage won’t grow back – ahhh!
Michele,
Thanks for reading and for commenting! You might consider putting some plants around them that are smaller, with a tighter growth habit, if there is room. Then you would have a more “tidy” appearance up front and the junipers would not be sitting there by themselves “sticking out like a sore thumb” yet they would still give you the height and privacy. If you do decide to trim them a bit, try to only take the tips off and not trim them too deep inside the plant. If you wanted to send me some photos I would be happy to take a look- you can email me at [email protected]
So glad I stumbled across your website, and still chuckling over the article title. Well written, btw.
We have an interesting bush/tree thing in our front yard (western exposure) It has four or five thick branches growing up from a central source, and the branches end in gigantic Sideshow Bob-esque explosions of foliage. The tallest part of the bush/tree is about 7′. We thought it would be neat to trim this bonsai-style, but do not know where to start. Is this possible with a juniper? Can you pass on any tips on how to shape this thing, in order to create an Oriental feel?
THX!
Thanks Chris!
Trimming your juniper to look like a bonsai is definitely possible! Many of the bonsai sold in stores are just small junipers, they are one of the easier bonsai to grow due to their toughness and low water requirements that I touched on in the article above.
If I were you I would probably try to trim it in 1 or 2 “phases”. Buy a really good sharp pair of small shears, and start trimming branch by branch. Go slow, and consider each branch before removing it. The biggest mistake I see people make is getting too aggressive and trimming too much off at once. This is why it might make sense to trim it in 2 phases. After the first trimming, step back and assess it for a couple weeks. This way you might get a better idea of which branches to remove to finish it off.
So glad you stumbled upon our site- I hope you keep following us!
I have already been looking to post about something like this about my site and you set it up an idea. Regards.
I had them in Santa Monica, they were like 50 years old and crowded and huge when I moved in. I put on gloves and dug in to prune them – opened them up like big bonzai trees, with artistic shaping and airy design. They were amazingly beautiful and people actually stopped by to comment on them. They only look bad if you let them go.
Hi Lynne, that is a great way to prune the older ones. Would love to see some photos if you have any!
I have several large juniper bushes about my building which were planted in the 1970’s and remain hearty and beautiful…except for two bushes which were basically destroyed in a heavy snow last winter. I believe that they could be salvaged by (piecing in) and planting the same variety of blue juniper in the broken areas. Problem is that none of the landscaping sales geniuses today can tell me the variety which would match my basic 1970’s blue juniper bushes…and today there are so many varieties…most of which are slow growing and meant for ground cover…the exact opposite of what I am looking for. I need something that will grow fast and integrate into my 4 ft high round bushes quickly? Can you point me in the right direction? I am at wits end. Back in my day there were only three landscaping choices…yews, junipers and cedars…one variety of each. And the young kids running the local nurserys and at Lowes and Home depot dont have a clue.
Brian,
Thanks for your comment. I would love to see a photo of the area. Also, what City are you located in? If you could visit my business website at http://www.odgdesign.com and send me a message via the contact form on that site, I will follow up with an email or call. Matt
I have four, what I think are common Junipers, or Burkii Junipers in my front landscaping. They are approximatly 10 ft tall and have been there for at least 7 years. We prune them at least twice a year to keep their shape and height, but this past season the top half of one of them died. I saw no sign of pest, or blight and the bottom is still healthy and growing. My question is can I save it by cutting the top off and trying to reshape it as it grows or will I have to replace?
My best guess without seeing them in person is that it could be salvaged by pruning as you suggested. Junipers are very resilient.
I just pulled some juniper bushes out for a church that is completely zeroscaping and I feel most people shouldn’t put them in. A large number of people are allergic, and most people dont have enough space for them to grow out. Getting them out is a nightmare.
I have a follow up question then. If I cut the dead top out do I need to paint the cut with anything, or can I just leave the cut exposed.
I would leave the cut exposed. Painting in most instances is not warranted, that is a bit of a old wives tale.
The common housefly finds them to be an extremely comfortable home and pest control companies won’t spray them due to the fact that they (juniper bush) can not handle the pesticide. So, unless you enjoy providing a home for these pests, rip them out. There are hundreds of thousands of bushes who can withstand pesticides and do not provide a safe harbor for pests.
Fondly,
Dirk Calloway
Dictated but not read
Dirk, I do not have a real problem with houseflies, they have never been a major nuisance in any of my homes or gardens. Personally I never spray pesticides anywhere on my house or landscape. This practice kills any beneficial insects such as spiders, and can damage bee colonies and other pollinators. Also my kids play in the landscape and I don’t want any of that stuff near them.
I find them to be a haven for mosquitos. I hate mosquitos, ergo, I hate Junipers.
The low, spreading Junipers can often hide Yellow Jacket nests (Meat Bees). Mean little Bastards! Often you won’t know they’re there until they swarm you.
Have two juniper bushes on either side of steps in front of condo. Noticed about a month
ago that the very top parts of them have this tremendous ‘wavy’ growth on them. The
new branches standing out very distinctly form the older bottom part. Nearest thing I
can compare them to is the ‘haircuts on some teenagers where the bottom is kind of close
and the tops of their heads are this wild bushy look…with flowing waves. I have also
noticed (in past two weeks or so…I’m not terribly observant of flora) there has appeared
a LOT of little bee like flies (I think their Hoverflies but not sure) have seemed to take up
residence in the Junipers….by day they seem to ‘Hover’ around and dart here and there but
they don’t seem to be wasps, etc as they have not tried to sting or ‘follow’ me if I get fairly
close to bush. Any thoughts on what these flying things might be or how to get rid of them?
thank you, Tony
I’m highly allergic to juniper pollen which makes me miserable for 2-3 months every year. Occasionally, my juniper allergies are so severe that I also get sinus and respiratory infections. So, if I could through some sort of omnipotent power, I’d eliminate junipers everywhere. Wipe them off of the face of the earth! As far as I’m concerned they should be banned by every city, town, municipality, and county. I wonder if those of you who plant junipers for simply aesthetic reasons have any idea how much suffering you cause a significant portion of the rest of the population around you.
Blah, blah, blah. Come on, millions of people are allergic to thousands of plant varieties, but we should all bend down to your silly problem with one species? Please. Move to Canada.
Yes! Yes!
Junipers “scream” midwestern landscape. Junipers were once the staple of many California landscapes in the ’50s, ’60s and even into the ’70s. They were a preferred plant selection due to their rapid growth and their ability to hedge quickly and become living fences or fortresses. In rare circumstances junipers can have some visual appeal, but most people had them planted too close to their homes, too close to walk ways and too close to the street. Thus becoming major eyesores in the future. Another negative regarding junipers is that they are susceptible to various pathogenic diseases, termite infestations, emit high levels of pollen and cause injury to anyone (children mainly) who may fall into the prickly shrubbery. I can still “feel” the major OUCHIES when I was a child falling down and into a juniper shrub and the rash that proceeded the contact from the egregious shrub. The home that I currently reside in was built in the late ’50s and had junipers all over the place. There was a 45 foot Hollywood Juniper tree planted right up against my home. It had a very gnarly, twisted trunk and constantly shed its dead growth all over my roof. Needless to say my home had some foundation damage and roof damage from this hideous juniper tree. I had it taken down along with a huge juniper hedge which was 8 feet high! Also, numerous juniper tams I had extracted. I can’t imagine anyone planting junipers anymore. Not only do they evoke a dreary midwestern look, but are terribly invasive and home to lots and lots of vermin. Rats love junipers! If you’ve got junipers get rid of them now!!!
Having the right junipers in the right places is perfect for my mid-century modern home. I had three juniper trees on my lot when I moved in and I added more lower growing varieties in strategic locations around my lot. They are the backbone and backdrop to my landscaping scheme, plus they give year round privacy from a semi-busy street (I’m on a corner lot). Also, mine are mostly the soft needled kind, they are low maintenance and I love them in the winter when everything else looks dead. I also have other evergreens in the mix, such as mugo pines and the junipers fit in really well, if you plan well.
I just laugh at the notion that people have created a type of landscape snobbery against junipers, how ridiculous. Also, I take offense at the person who made the comment that junipers scream mid-western landscaping as if things associated with the mid-west are inferior. Side note: junipers have been planted all over the country for decades, not just in the mid-west, they are not associated with only mid-western landscaping.
And, one more thing before I get off my soapbox, I won’t be ripping out my junipers for anyone in the neighborhood that has allergies to them. If everyone in the neighborhood had to remove all trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers out of their yards because someone in the neighborhood was allergic, I guess just about everyone’s yards would have nothing but dirt left in them.
I couldn’t agree more! I think the answer is moderation- we would never design a landscape today using only Juniper, but they are great plants when used in the right situation.
I have a duplex with juniper bushes in the front. There is one space where we have a very large pine tree that is compromising the roof. We are considering taking the tree out and replacing it with something that is lower growing. We do not want to add in more juniper bushes. What are some plants that go well with the juniper bushes?
Sarah,
Where is the duplex located? Without knowing what hardiness zone, what kind of soil you have, if there is irrigation, sun/shade, etc. it is hard to say. If you visit our website at http://www.odgdesign.com and fill out the contact form I will get back to you with some ideas. Thanks!
Hi, I live in zone 5 and have a juniper bush in the front. I’ve never really liked it and thought it was always dying because it had yellowish leaves. When I looked into it I realized it’s a gold variety. I’m debating if I should appreciate it more. It’s not tall but it needs pruning because it’s a bit wide for it’s spot. Should I learn to love it ?
I wanted to add that I’m pretty confident it is a “Gold Coast” have you had experience with that variety ?
Hi Caitlin,
Another possibility would be that it is Juniperus × pfitzeriana ‘Old Gold’, that is another popular variety. You could try to surround it with complimentary colors such as purple and red flowering perennials…
Hi thanks for the quick reply! I’m so excited to share that I pruned it today. I read your post and other tips about pruning and cut the lower branches off to expose the trunk sort of similar to a bonsai and kept it’s natural shape on the top. It came out much better than I anticipated. I’m very happy to have read up on it. Thank you so much for the color suggestions. I have a red phlox in the back that I might move to the front near it soon.
Also i realized there is no way I could figure out the type. I looked into the old gold you mentioned then saw “lime glow” and that looks close too. I didn’t realize there were so many varieties.
When we moved in to our 1950s home 4 years ago within the first week we removed about 20 Junipers from all around our house. Now we can see the house – yea! We also have them that line up our (very long) drive way and also line along our front yard (but there provide a great break between us and the road). Over the past 4 years I have trimmed them up (I think I am 98% done!) and when you trim them underneath you get such an interesting sculpture that I love! I should post some pics of how many our still on our 6 acre property and you can see where I trimmed them back (several feet!). It has made for some cool looking flower/plant bed areas too.
Hi Matt, I’m so happy about this site and that you seem to still be responding! We have built a new home on an old lot and the only landscaping to survive is a long line of very tall junipers along the driveway. I’d love to keep these trees alive and have pruned a little, noticing 2 healthy shoots coming from the ground about 4 feet each. Is there a way that I can transplant these shoots/baby trees to another area that is not so full/dense? Thanks for your time- Amy.
My pleasure Amy! I think if you dig up as much roots as you can with each shoot, and then plant in full/part sun in well draining soil, and water them every other day for a couple weeks you might have success. It doesn’t hurt to try! I would either do it ASAP in June, or wait until the fall for best results. Where is your new home? Can I interest you in a landscape design or landscape master plan? You can reach me at [email protected]
Hi Matt,
I think junipers are beautiful trees and am about to put some in our yard this coming Saturday. I was wondering if you could help me with a few questions? If I plant a Blue Point Juniper four feet from the house (the gutter/roof ledge is about 7 feet), will that create a problem over time? I need the density there for privacy. Also, I am reading a lot of conflicting information about pruning junipers. It sounds like you’re saying it’s fine to trim the top leader and sides. I read yesterday that topping it means death to the plant. Is that true? Also, I passed up Spartan Junipers for arborvitaes because I read that junipers only live about 20-30 years whereas arborvitaes live 50-75 years. Your article says 100+ years. What’s the approximate lifespan? One other question – What smaller size junipers do you recommendfor shady areas? The canopy of a Bradford Pear will soon overshadow that area I am considering. I am zone 7b DFW, Texas (clay soil, heat, etc…) Thank you for your time.
You should be fine with the Blue Point or other narrow varieties 4′ from the house. I am confused because you say that you are about to put Junipers in but then you say you passed up juniper for Arborvitae? Arborvitae are not junipers, arborvitae should only be used in cool wet regions, they are not drought tolerant and will not do well in sun and heat. I always see them overused and misplaced here in Denver, burnt to a crisp and dead, and I wonder “why didn’t they just use our native Juniper?!!!”
As for pruning, there are dozens (hundreds?) of types including low spreading, shrub forms, upright, etc. It sounds like you are talking about upright junipers, I am not sure how the upright varieties will react if you were to trim the main leader. Junipers generally like a lot of sun, but most of them should be fine in light shade. I would recommend a different shade loving plant if there will be full shade.
One thing to consider if you live in a high wildfire danger area is that junipers are highly combustible. We just had a bunch removed because they pose a wildfire danger to our house.
Great point, thanks for adding to the discussion Amy!
I have 2 “Taylor Junipers” and parts of them are turning brown. What might be the cause? and What can I do to ‘heal’ save them/
Hi
I just moved into a house that has what I think is a juniper but it’s about 90% brown and dead and I’m wondering if I cut it down to nothing if it would grow back, or if I should just remove it. I have pictures of it if needed. I’m also in western North Dakota and it gets all the morning sun where it’s at.
i have 2 Hollywood Junipers that have grown tall above the roof line. They are in my front garden framing a large window. When I planted them I had no idea they would get so tall. I live in Louisiana (Mandeville, zone 8b). The bottoms are bushy with new growth, about mid-way they are spindly and the central leader is very exposed, I want to cut it off. We get a lot of high-gust wind and rain in the spring that blows the tops to where they get caught on the eaves. I always have to straighten them by pulling the center of the plant(s) straight… I’ve been told this variety is hard to prune I really don’t want to move them. Can I just cut the ugly part and let it go? Id rather prune than remove or transplant. I will send pictures if provided a link where to send them.
thanks!
Tessa
I live an hour north of NYC in the woods at the bottom of a large hill. Five Junipers make a wall at the bottom of my yard. A Grass lawn is on the uphill side of the Junipers and the other side is the the soil is almost flush at the top of a 3ft tall retaining wall above my drive driveway.
Two factors are important to me. First, erosion control and second I’m tired of fishing out my kids balls and toys that gravity always eventually places in the depths of the 40ft long by 15 ft wide Juniper wall.
First, if I ripped out the bushes and planted grass and or blueberry bushes would that hold the soil on the hill any better. The site is in full sun for most I of the day and I don’t need the Juniper as a wind break or privacy screen.
Second, as stated there is a city of toys in my Juniper Universe.
Any thoughts?
I have low growing junipers on the top of my rock wall, they have been there about 7 years but now they are turning brown on the tips. I think it is blight,is there any way to save them?They line about 35 feet of the top of the wall and it would be impossible to cut all the brown out. Is there anything I can spray on them to help or do I have to remove them all?
I have a tree form juniper in front of my house. It is seven to eight feet tall. There is no greenery on the inside of the branches. The greenery is on the last 14 inches of each branch. Can I water it really good and apply fertilizer to get some growth for the bare inner branches? It has never been fertilized that I know of. I have been pruning to let light in. Or will the growth always be on the outside of the branches?
I have been researching for months for foundation landscaping for the front of our brick ranch in zone 5 facing west. The brick is a mix of black and a light reddish color; the front door, attached garage door, and trim are white. The front door is located next to the overhead garage door. So, there is no sidewalk but driveway leading to the 2 front steps on an 8 x 10 concrete slab porch. The northwest corner by the garage has 2 mature spruces, 1 green and 1 blue along with a maple on the side of the garage. We also have mature maples in the back of the house, as well as, a boundary line of some type of very tall junipers.
The more information I gain in my search for front foundation landscaping it seems my options are less and less. Junipers have come to the forefront since I found their roots are noninvasive to the basement foundation. Drought, strong sun, and winter wind tolerances are also important factors in the plant selections. I would like to keep the tallest plant selection between 2′ to 3′, besides something taller at the southwest corner of the house and eventually the south side of the house, further away from the foundation. I understand yews have noninvasive roots but I do not care for the poisonous aspects. I’m not crazy about the spreading junipers; I think they look unruly. I would like at least 1 to 3 varieties of evergreens 3′ tall and under. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have including junipers. Thank you.
Matt,
Hi. I’m considering buying Juniper Trees for the first time, and I have a quick question. Are they wind tolerant? I live in a rural area of Western NY, and in the winter, or even in the summer when a storm blows in we can get wind gusts up to 60mph. I also live on a lake front property, I don’t know if that matters in terms of wind. Could Juniper trees handle these types of winds or would turn they turn brown and eventually die? Thanks in advance for answering my question.
Hi Ann,
They are a great choice for windy areas. On the eastern plains of Colorado where it gets VERY windy, Junipers are often used as windbreaks along roads and fields because of their drought tolerance and adaptability to harsh conditions.
Hey Matt,
I have a view lot, but my view is not so great. The neighbors below grew malalouca trees that are right by our fence line. They are a great problem for their roots, as well as I hear they can be a fire hazard. The other neighbor planted junipers, and from what I can tell, their roots are not a problem. Is this true? The house that has the malalouca’s is for sale. I’m tempted to ask the seller if I can plant junipers so that when the new owner gets in, they are in and ready to start growing my new privacy wall without a fight! thanks for your help
Can I plant a small (upright) juniper bush in a large plastic pot, and then trim to bonsai effect?
I live in North Atlanta, would it survive in a pot overwinter?
It should be fine, just don’t forget to water it often through the winter.
I need an upright juniper to form a screen in the backyard in the Denver area. I know many upright junipers get destroyed by wet snow. Are some varieties more resistent to damage than others. Do any have a strong central leader which would probably make them more resistent to damange?
I would recommend Medora Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Medora’) or ‘Woodward’ juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Woodward’)
Stay away from the Skyrocket Juniper if you are concerned about possible snow damage.
Thank you for clarifying a difference between the Woodward and Skyrocket! I’ll most likely plant 2 Woodward to provide visual, upright, year-round interest in our back yard against fence to block neighbor’s taller house & provide some privacy. Any other differences between these 2 choices? Mostly sunny (south side but against fence & tall neighbor houses), have sprinker system. We definitely have snow thru mid/end of May in Highlands Ranch, CO (far south Denver)
Hi, there are a few junipers along my front walk that have clearly overgrown their space. I’m not sure I can trim them enough to help. Can they be ‘relocated’ to another spot in my yard (I have plenty of space for planting elsewhere) or will they likely not make it if relocated?
Hi Melissa,
Depending on the size of the juniper shrubs, you might be able to successfully transplant the junipers. The younger and smaller the shrub, the better the chance you can relocate it without causing too much stress to the plant. If you do try to transplant them, be sure to take as much of the root ball as possible, and water well once you’ve got it placed in the new location. Choosing to move plants on a cooler and wetter day should also aid in a successful transplant operation.
Best of Luck!
I have a property that is about 200 x 200 that I was paid by the county to clear cut for runway clearance.
The deal was that they were supposed to provide a visual barrier of about 5 or 6 feet high using shrubs.
They came back yesterday and offered to put in 2 to 2 1/2 foot high Junipers but not all around to save cost.
I can work on them for that, but the basic question is, what woudl be the best way to go about creating a visual and wind barrier around a 200′ square piece pf property that has been denuded of everything ?
They will not plant anything that will grow high eventually.
I live in upstate NY, so it gets cold and snowy here.
Thanks
Tom
Hi Tom,
We’re based in Colorado, so we are not as familiar with the growing conditions in your region. If there is a plant nursery or garden center in your area, their staff would probably have some great recommendations for what will grow best in your conditions. Another good source for information on gardening and plant suggestions for your area would be the Cornell University Cooperative Extension service. They might be able to connect you with a Master Gardener who could give you some advice. You can find more information at this link: http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/gardening
With that being said, a few possible plants come to mind that might work for you: Arborvitae, Yew, and Privet.
Best of Luck!
Recently a bunch of our junipers died and we are removing the stumps. Is it alright to use the dead parts–the old branches and such– to cover our potato plants as they grow–or are junipers poisonous to garden plants?
Hi Pat,
I’m not completely sure, but I don’t think juniper branches would be poisonous to other plants. I also don’t know if the presence of the juniper material would change the pH of the soil. Perhaps you could run a test by placing juniper material on just a few of the potato plants to see what happens?
Best of Luck!
I just cut my 33 year old juniper back from 13′ to about 3 or 4′ away from the trunk. I want to cut the roots back to about 4′, too, to avoid having baby junipers coming up in the future, but am concerned about killing the bush. If doing so would kill it, is it alright to cut the roots of the younger limbs, (the ones further out), down to the main roots, that they sprouted from, without killing the whole bush?
For the above comment from Barbara: I live in Payson, AZ
They have killed all the other plants in my front garden area and are starting to invade my porch and sidewalk I’ve already killed 2 of them but there are still 8 left
Hello,
I have a bunch of Juniper bushes by my bedroom window. They are at least 30 years old. They are gorgeous but they are getting really big. I was wandering if they can damage my basement foundation wall. Are the root system like a regular tree? Can they go deep into the ground or are they more like ground level root system? Should I be worry about it? Thanks for your help.
Hi Matt,
I have 2 big fat junipers by my front porch steps that are10 years old. It seems that almost every house in my neighbohood has these planted by the front steps. I purchased my home in 2006 and they had not been trimmed…ever. Hired a landscaper who said we got to them just in time and rather than leave them in their natural upward growth pattern he made them round. My new landscaper of 3 years “shears” them every week as well as all my bushes so they never look like they need trimming. (I’m thinking that’s not the best idea) Now the junipers are huge round balls about 8 – 10 ft high and only green around the edges. The entire inside looks brown and dead. I now know this was not the correct way to keep them trimmed. Is my only option to dig them up ( he said their roots go everywhere) or just keep shearing them and leave them the size they are? I think they ruin the appearance of my front entrance. What about cutting them to the ground and planting something else avoiding the roots if that’s possible? I live in Flowery Branch, Ga…North Atlanta.
Sounds like you have a good plan. It’s tough to say without seeing photos, and I’m not well versed in the plants of the Southeastern US. I would speak to someone at a local nursery. Good luck!
Blue Sargent Junipers are dying at the end of our driveway by the road. They cover a about 15′ x 15′ area at the two corners at the front of our lot. Approximately 30% of the plants are dead and another 20% are heading that way.
We are planning to replace them with a more manageable shrub. We really like the densiformis yews. Are yews a decent replacement by the street?
They will work well in a more humid, wetter, or shadier climate. They grew great in Michigan where I grew up, here in Colorado they don’t grow well at all unless they are given a perfect micro-climate.
We have a juniper bush that has been growing for over 20 years. We have never seen any berries on it . Are there species of juniper that do not produce berries?
Matt, I live at almost 7,000 feet (New Mexico) in a juniper-pinyon pine grassland, but really wish — for fire safety purposes — I had something other than junipers on my south-facing foundation planting bed. These shrub junipers were probably topped for years but never thinned from below. So I, the master gardener, took my loppers and pruners to them last week, really pruning them back to (1) regain about 14″ on my flagstone walkway and (2) open them up so they can fill in some. The limbs were growing all crooked inside and crossing over each other. They look really awful now and my husband is a bit unhappy with me. Will they now fill in where I trimmed them back?
Tina,
I don’t have a lot of knowledge about trimming junipers, but it is my understanding that they can’t be trimmed as much as broad leaf evergreen shrubs and continue to grow back. I’ve been told that if it looks “twiggy” where the cutting occurred, it is less likely that they will grow back in that area. But, you might want to let it go for a year and see if there are any signs of new growth.
The following information was found on the Morton Arboretum’s website (http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/pruning-evergreens):
All junipers develop a dead zone in the center of the plant because of insufficient light. New growth will not develop from this area unless green needles remain. Severe pruning is not recommended.
To correct the shape, prune before new growth starts in the spring; lightly prune side branches to reduce their size and to bring the plant back into scale.
Prune spreading and creeping junipers by selectively cutting back to vigorous, lateral side branches. Do not shear in a formal manner.
Overgrown specimens can be lowered up to 20 percent, but cuts must be above the dead zone.
When shearing junipers, care should be taken to leave some new growth on the plant to avoid pruning back into the dead zone. Shearing should take place in the spring when plants are actively growing.
Hey, I live in the charlotte NC area. Right now I have about 200 feet of raggedy, diseased, out of control red tips across my property. These without a doubt need to be ripped out. It’s in front of the property so there are power lines that run down the whole front. I was thinking of replacing the red tips with juniper or something. I need a dust/privacy screen. Maybe blue point and some Wichita blue. The front is very sunny all day. I’m not sure how many I would need or the spacing. I don’t know, I just know the hedges needs to be under power line, deer resistant, and maintenance free! I probably need a miracle! Lol Any thoughts?
Joy,
Junipers are fairly hardy and trouble-free so those might be a good choice for you. I was under the impression that the Juniperus virginiana varieties might be better suited for wetter areas such as North Carolina. I recommend you visit your local plant nurseries or garden centers and see what the professionals there might suggest. Also, universities in your area might provide master gardener services or horticultural extension education services (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/) for your area, and they sometimes are available for Q&A sessions. Good Luck!
Fire department wants me to get rid of my 70’x50′ patch of juniper, for fire safety. I took a few clippings and tried to start them with a map-gas torch. no luck, could not get a flame to take, and map gas/air is hotter than any other organic material fire. Taught graduate level combustion course, and with all that expertise, with fire extinguisher and hose nearby could not catch dry, live juniper on fire.
Dead juniper on the other hand catches fire quite easily. As long as the Juniper is healthy, it is not a fire hazard at all.
Matt
I live in east Denver and just “succumbed” to my HOA’s suggestion of the removal of 20+ year old Juniper bushes (a gated community of 151 homes, all with Junipers in the front yards) at the HOA’s expense as the Junipers “had outlived their life span”. Too late, I just now sadly discovered your website and am disheartened by all this invaluable information. I loved the Junipers as they were living things that housed rabbits (considered pests by my neighbors), Garter snakes (some real beauties, again not appreciated by my neighbors), a plethora of interesting flying insects (the numbers of Damsel flies at breeding time escapes counting – “Don’t those darning needle dragon flies sew your lips closed?” believe my nature-adverse neighbors), and other natural wonders. Unfortunately where I live (next to Fairmount Cemetery) the state flower, the Blue Columbine, has been replaced by the yellow plastic flags warning of chemical spraying, which has made vegetable gardening in the backyard unsafe, reduced the numbers of beneficial insects, marginalized bird populations, and in general given the community a “Stepford wife” appearance. I am considering replanting Junipers in my front yard and will be consulting (and hiring you) for a landscape design/plan. Meanwhile I take great comfort in daily walks and my Shin-rin yoku practice (Forest Bathing) thru Fairmount where I often see a small herd of deer, a multitude of bird species and interesting insects and small mammals as I keep in mind what President Bill Clinton said about being in a cemetery is a lot like being the President – there are a lot of people under you but no one is listening! Keep up the good work!
Joe
I live in the California Bay Area and there are a number of aged homes, and a school in my neighborhood, that are clad in unsightly junipers. Whenever I go for evening walks I can hear the lively ruckus from a plethora of rats that live in the juniper-ed landscapes. Yes, rats love living in junipers. That’s reason enough to get rid of junipers besides them being sooo ugly. I have a newer neighbor who got rid of 57 years worth of a juniper wall in front of his home. When it was being removed there were rats galore scurrying out, not to mention about 20 rat carcasses were found! Friends don’t let friends plant junipers!!!
Junipers are one of the most useful and beautiful landscape plantings. Some also provide, in their berries, a useful flavoring for cooking. You have to be an idiot to despise them.
I did not see any mention of the fire hazard of junipers. In California wildfire risk areas we have been told to get rid of the junipers as they burn hot, as do all conifers and gum trees. And we all have them close to our houses. Can’t figure out what to plant that will hold a hillside during heavy rain and require so little maintenance.
I just hate the smell of these things, like cat pee, and it’s painful because they are attractive. BUT THE SMELL! Some people don’t seem to notice the stench. I don’t understand.
In the San Joaquin Valley, they also seem to turn into black widow nests, I have never seen a plant so loved by black widows.