← Bedfellow

Common Juniper

Juniperus communis

Common juniper is the widest-ranging conifer on Earth, a low spreading shrub of rocky, open ground whose aromatic blue berries flavor gin. Tough, deer-resistant, and superb for dry slopes.

Family
Cupressaceae
Type
shrub
Lifespan
perennial
Height
3–15 ft
Spacing
6–12 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
dry, moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral, alkaline
Bloom
March, April
Bloom colors
yellow, brown, green
Wildlife value
songbirds, mammals, larval host
Caterpillar hosts
~42 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control
Native states
AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, ID, IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WY