As a landscaper and gardener I’m always on the lookout for tough adaptable plants to use in a wide range of situations. One of my favorite hardy shrubs is Juniperus communis, also known as common juniper. In this article, I’ll share tips for locating high quality J. communis plants for sale either locally or through mail order nurseries. With its sprawling growth habit and attractive blue-green evergreen foliage, this useful juniper can serve many functions in landscapes and gardens.
The Benefits of Common Juniper Plants
Juniperus communis offers quite a few excellent qualities that make it a go-to shrub for challenging sites
- Hardy and adaptable to most soil types, including poor soils
- Tolerates drought, heat, wind, and salt exposure
- Provides year-round evergreen interest with blue-green needle-like foliage
- Grows in a sprawling, spreading form reaching 1-3 feet tall and up to 10 feet wide
- Good for slopes, rocky areas, foundations, and erosion control
- Valuable cover and food source for birds and wildlife
With attributes like these, it’s easy to see why J. communis is such a versatile landscape plant. Now let’s look at some options for finding high quality shrubs for sale.
Mail Order and Online Nurseries
Specialty online nurseries offer extensive selections of common juniper plants and usually ship with well-established root systems. The convenience of mail order is ideal when looking for specific cultivars Here are some top options to check out
-
Nature Hills Nursery – Offers common juniper bare root plants and potted varieties like ‘Repanda’ and ‘Green Carpet’ at affordable prices.
-
Bluestone Perennials – Good selection of common juniper including low-growing cultivars perfect for rock gardens.
-
High Country Gardens – Specializes in plants suited for tough, dry climates. Carries compact J. communis cultivars.
When ordering online, opt for larger container sizes to get well-established plants that make an immediate impact.
Local Nurseries and Garden Centers
Another option is sourcing J. communis plants from local retailers in your area:
-
Independent nurseries – Look for those focused on native plants or specimen conifers. Staff can advise on cultivars suitable for your site.
-
Big box garden centers – While selection is limited, they may carry common juniper and popular cultivars seasonally.
-
Conservation plant sales – Nonprofits sometimes include common juniper among their affordable native plant offerings.
No matter where you source plants locally, inspect them closely for good health and vigor before purchasing.
What to Look for When Buying
Here are signs to look for when selecting healthy J. communis plants:
- Upright, firm needles with no browning
- Dense, full foliage from stems to ground
- Established root system if bare root or containerized
- No signs of damage from pests, disease, or mechanical injury
- Radial symmetry with no lopsided or sparse areas
For the best value, opt for young 1-2 year old nursery propagated plants. Avoid collecting from the wild.
Caring for Your Juniperus Communis
To help your new J. communis shrubs thrive:
-
Plant in well-draining soil in full sun to part shade
-
Space plants 8-12 feet apart depending on spread
-
Water regularly until established then taper off
-
Apply organic mulch around plants to conserve moisture
-
Prune as needed to shape but allow natural sprawling form
Juniperus communisJuniperus communis
select i.*, substring_index(group_concat(distinct pa.country order by rsi.date_added desc),,,-1) as source_country from inventory_item_manage i left outer join sheffields_2017.receiving_shipments_item_has_inventory_item hrsi on i.id = hrsi.inventory_item_id left outer join sheffields_2017.receiving_shipments_item rsi on rsi.id = hrsi.receiving_shipments_item_id left outer join sheffields_2017.po on rsi.po_id = po.id left outer join sheffields_2017.po_address pa on pa.po_id = po.id where i.inventory_id = 768 group by i.id
|
Scarification: Soak in hot tap water, let stand in water for 6 hours
Stratification: warm stratify for 90 days, cold stratify for 90 days
Germination: sow seed 1/4″ deep, tamp the soil, mulch the seed bed
Other: seedlings need shade their first year. Juniperus communis, also known as the Common Juniper, is a small evergreen coniferous tree or shrub with needle-like leaves arranged in whorls of three. It can grow up to 30 feet tall or as a low, prostrate, spreading shrub in exposed areas. It is dioecious, with male and female cones on separate plants, which are wind pollinated. The fruit are berry-like cones that are usually round and green at first. After 18 months, they turn purple-black and have a blue waxy covering. The birds that eat the cones spread the seeds by digesting the fleshy scales and leaving behind the hard, unwinged seeds in their droppings. The plant is cultivated in the horticulture trade and used as an ornamental shrub in gardens. The bitter blue-black seed cones, which are often called “juniper berries,” are rarely eaten raw. Instead, they are sold dried and used to add flavor to meats, sauces, stuffings, and even some beers and gin. You can boil the stems and leaves to make a tea that tastes a lot like gin but with a spicy kick. Common juniper grows all over the cool, temperate Northern Hemisphere. It is valued for its traditional uses in medicine, cooking, and making crafts that look nice.
I wish I’d seen this video 2 years ago!
FAQ
How fast does Juniperus communis grow?
When should you plant junipers?
How big do Juniperus communis get?
Where is the best place to plant juniper bushes?
Where to buy juniper trees (juniperous)?
Buy Juniper Trees (Juniperous) available for Sale at Best Price from Conifer Kingdom. Juniperous are aromatic conifers native around the globe. Shop Today!
What are junipers used for?
Junipers are among the most popular plants used in gardens, parks, and industrial landscaping. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors that can find a use in almost any setting. Junipers are aromatic, coniferous trees and shrubs that are native around the globe in the northern hemisphere.
Are Juniperus communis compressa a good plant?
Resembling an elegant, tapered candle with silvery, blue-green foliage, Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’ makes a superior, vertical accent, especially in containers, the rock garden and other small spaces. Its dense, vertical branches grow very slowly and stay in perfect scale with other choice rockery plants.
What is a columnar juniper?
*Photos may demonstrate how the plant grows and do not necessarily pertain to the available crop (s). This extremely narrow, pointed columnar juniper is a popular landscape choice as it does not take up much space. Green, fine-textured foliage is mixed with silver and blue tones.