Top Varieties & Pruning For Best Growth!
If you're looking for a low-maintenance plant that adds year-round color, suppresses weeds, and thrives in almost any sunny spot, Groundcover Junipers are the answer. These tough evergreens spread wide, stay low, and provide incredible texture, whether you're softening a retaining wall, covering a slope, or filling in open garden space.
At Nature Hills Nursery, you'll find a wide variety of groundcover Junipers in shades of blue, green, and silvery-gray, with some even shifting to a purplish hue in winter.
- Top Low-Growing Groundcover Junipers
- Landscaping Uses
- Care & Maintenance
- How to Prune Groundcover Junipers
- A Low-Maintenance Groundcover with High Impact
Perfect for mass plantings, erosion control, or wildlife-friendly landscapes, these adaptable Junipers grow where other plants struggle. Once established, they're drought-tolerant, resilient, and stunning when used in modern or traditional designs. Some even produce ornamental blue berries that birds love.
Top Low-Growing Groundcover Junipers
Not all Junipers are tall and shrubby - some hug the ground and spread wide, making them perfect as living carpets. Here are some of the best low-growing options you'll find at Nature Hills:
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Blue Rug Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'): One of the lowest-growing Junipers, forming a dense mat of silvery-blue foliage. Ideal for slopes, rock gardens, and cascading over walls. Growing just 6 - 8 inches and spreading to a sizeable 6 - 8 feet.
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Blue Chip Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip'): Compact and flat-growing with steel-blue foliage that resists fading. Excellent choice for erosion control on banks. Blue Chip grows just 12 inches in height, but can spread to a great 6-8 feet wide.
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Blueberry Delight Juniper Bush (Juniperus comminis 'AmiDak'): Low, spreading evergreen with bright green foliage that turns purple in winter, highlighted by heavy clusters of ornamental blue berries that birds adore - great accent plant, groundcover, or edging plant.
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Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'): A classic bonsai favorite, forming a low mat of emerald-green foliage that hugs the ground. This darling grows 8-12 inches tall and spreads into a 4-5 foot wide carpet.
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Green Mound Japanese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procumbens 'Green Mound'): Dense, uniform, and spreading, perfect for Asian-inspired gardens, rock gardens, or borders. Ornamental 8-12 inches tall and spreading a modest 3-4 feet wide.
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Buffalo Juniper (Juniperus sabina 'Buffalo'): Rugged and wide-spreading with green foliage that thrives in tough, dry conditions. A beefier shrub, Buffalo grows 12-15 inches tall and spreads 3-5 feet wide.
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Calgary Carpet® Juniper (Juniperus sabina 'Monna'): Dense, medium-green needles form a thick carpet ideal for slopes and large-scale groundcover. Calgary grows 6-9 inches tall and can spread to an astounding 8-10 feet wide!
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Blue Pacific Juniper (Juniperus conferta ‘Blue Pacific’): A hardy, salt-tolerant groundcover with soft-textured, blue-green needles that spread in a graceful, trailing habit. Excellent for coastal gardens, with a lush look that stands out from typical Junipers. At 12 inches tall, Blue Pacific spreads 5-7 feet wide!
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Grey Owl Juniper (Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl'): Low, wide-spreading form with silvery-gray foliage, outstanding as a wildlife-friendly groundcover. Cold-hardy Grey Owl grows 2-3 feet tall and spreads 5-6 feet wide.
- Arcadia Juniper (Juniperus sabina 'Arcadia'): Extremely hardy, spreading variety with rich green foliage that handles poor soils and urban sites with ease. Growing 12-18 inches tall, this lovely specimen spreads 3-5 feet wide.
These low-growing Junipers spread beautifully without getting tall, making them unbeatable for covering ground, suppressing weeds, and adding evergreen texture to tough, sunny spots.
Landscaping Uses
Groundcover Junipers are more than just tough plants - they're also incredibly versatile:
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Sunny slopes: Great for hard-to-mow hillsides. Hold soil in place and prevent erosion.
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Retaining walls: Plant along the top and let them spill gracefully over the edges
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Mass plantings: Create a colorful, textured, low-maintenance carpet of foliage!
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Rock gardens: Perfect companions for boulders and gravel beds. Junipers are wonderfully xeric once established.
- Wildlife-friendly gardens: Some varieties produce berries beloved by birds, but deer tend to leave these spikier plants alone unless desperate.
Care & Maintenance
Groundcover Junipers are famously easy to grow, making them a top pick for busy or beginner gardeners:
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Sun Needs: Full sun is a must for healthy, dense growth
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Soil Conditions: Plant in well-drained soil to prevent root rot
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Correct Watering: Water regularly in the first season to establish roots, then they become very drought-tolerant (watering tips)
- Mulching: A light mulch layer helps retain moisture while young plants are establishing
How To Prune Groundcover Junipers
Pruning Groundcover Junipers requires a slightly different approach than shearing shrubs or clipping hedges. These evergreens grow by extending new shoots from their tips, while the older interior wood does not produce new growth once shaded out.
This means that if you cut too far back into bare, woody stems, those areas will not regenerate.
Instead, the key is to keep your trimming light, targeted, and focused on the green tips:
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Time It Right: Light pruning can be done year-round, but the best time for shaping is late spring through mid-summer, after new growth hardens off. Avoid heavy trimming in late fall to prevent winter damage.
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Trim Only the Green Tips: Snip back the soft green ends to keep plants tidy and encourage branching. Always leave some green foliage on every branch you cut.
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Guide Their Spread: If plants spill too far over paths, walls, or edging, use hand pruners to lightly redirect their natural flow without forcing a harsh outline.
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Avoid Shearing: Unlike Boxwoods or Yews, Junipers don't bounce back from tight, formal shearing. A looser, layered shape is healthier and more attractive.
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Remove Dead or Damaged Branches: Cut out broken, brown, or diseased growth cleanly to improve air circulation and vigor.
- Never Cut Into Old Wood: Once branches turn woody and bare, they will not sprout again. Always work on the living green growth.
With this approach, pruning is minimal and mainly cosmetic. Groundcover Junipers look their best when you respect their natural growth habit, giving them just enough guidance to stay neat and contained.
A Low-Maintenance Groundcover With High Impact
From sunny slopes to modern landscapes, Groundcover Junipers deliver evergreen beauty, low-maintenance perks, and year-round appeal. Whether you need erosion control, weed suppression, or just want a living carpet of color, these tough evergreens have you covered.
Happy Planting!
