Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’
Description
Add a delightful twist to your garden with the Blue Star Juniper. This needled evergreen shrub with silver-blue foliage is ideal for growing in dry, and stony areas – adding interest to garden beds in even the toughest conditions.
The Blue Star Juniper tends to grow out rather than up, reaching just 1-3 feet in height and creating a delightful mound of blue-green color. Its vibrant, unique foliage offers a great contrast in monochromatic green gardens, while its spreading growth adds character to any landscape space. A slow grower, the Blue Star Juniper will provide year-round beauty once established.
The best part? The Blue Star Juniper is an incredibly resilient and versatile shrub. Your Blue Star will thrive in light soil with great drainage – but it can tolerate other soils, including dry or clay soil. Just plant in full sun and provide regular water while it’s establishing! If you’re looking for a dwarf plant with densely packed foliage and unique color, then the Blue Star Juniper makes a great choice for your garden.
Planting
Choose a location with full sun (6 to 8 hours of sun per day) and ideally well-drained soil. However, the Blue Star Juniper shrub is highly adaptable, drought resistant and easy-to-grow in most soil types. When it’s time to plant your shrub, start by digging a hole that’s at least twice the width of the root ball. After placing your shrub in its hole, backfill the soil, tamp down, and water to establish the root system.
If you’re container planting, select a pot that’s twice the width of your shrub’s shipped container and ensure it has drainage holes. Use organic soil mix, place your shrub, and put the pot in a sunny location on your porch or patio.
Watering
Water your new Blue Star Juniper regularly and deeply during its first growing season to help it establish – weekly, or more often during extreme heat. Once your Blue Star Juniper has acclimated to your landscape, you can reduce your watering frequency. If you’re not sure when to water, simply check the soil – if it’s dry down to around 2 inches, it’s time to water.
Fertilizing
You can fertilize your Blue Star plant in the late winter or early spring during its first year – a general 10-10-10 fertilizer is the ideal option to use. Once established, you won’t need regular fertilization.
Pruning
Since it has slow growth, you will hardly need to prune your Blue Star Juniper. However, you can prune as needed to shape for your landscape or garden setting.
| Growing Information | |
| Mature Height: | 1-3 ft |
| Mature Width: | 1-4 ft |
| Sunlight: | Full Sun |
| Bloom Time: | |
| Growth Rate: | Slow |
| Grows Well in Zones: | 4-8 |
| Your Growing Zone: | 6 |
