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Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis

Creeping juniper is a hardy, mat-forming evergreen groundcover that hugs the ground over rock, sand, and slopes, often bronzing in winter. A go-to deer-resistant cover for hot, dry, exposed sites. Like other junipers, the roasted berries make a coffee-like beverage, and the young branch tips brew into a tea.

Family

Cupressaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

0.5–1.5 ft

Spacing

5–8 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

April, May

Bloom colors

white, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, mammals, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~42 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

groundcover

Native states

AK, CT, IA, IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, NY, SD, VT, WI, WY