Juniperus communis var. communis
A highly variable conifer across the Northern Hemisphere, ranging from prostrate groundcovers to upright shrubs and small trees, drought-tolerant and cold-hardy, with awl-shaped needles in whorls of three and blue-black cones used for gin flavoring.
Common Names
Common Juniper, Juniper
Summary
Common juniper is an evergreen conifer native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and Asia, with growth forms ranging from ground-covering mats to small trees; it features aromatic, prickly, needle-like leaves in whorls of three with a white stomatal band, and female cones that ripen to blue-black with a waxy bloom.
Cultivation favors full sun and well-drained soils, tolerates poor or rocky soils and a wide pH range, and is drought-tolerant once established and wind-tolerant, hardy in USDA zones 2–6; propagation is by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings; commonly used as ground cover on stony or sandy sites, as an ornamental plant, and for windbreaks or hedges and erosion control.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
5-10 feet
Spread
8-12 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 2–6
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green (gray-green to blue-green)
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen needle
Growth Rate
Slow growth
Seasons of Interest
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Vegetative propagation
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Variety
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Pinophyta
- Class
- Pinopsida
- Subclass
- Cupressidae
- Order
- Cupressales
- Family
- Cupressaceae
- Genus
- Juniperus
- Species
- Juniperus communis
Synonyms
Juniperus suecica Juniperus taurica Juniperus difformis Juniperus elliptica Juniperus caucasica Juniperus occidentalis Juniperus niemannii Juniperus oblongopendula Juniperus depressa Juniperus duplicata Juniperus communis var. pannonica Juniperus echinoformis Thuiaecarpus juniperinus