Scientific Name:
Juniperus squamata
Pronunciation:
joo-NIP-ur-us skwuh-MAY-tuh
Common Name:
squamata juniper, Blue Star juniper
Family Name:
Cupressaceae
Plant Type:
Conifer
Key ID Features:
Mostly horizontal shrubs to less commonly small trees; shaggy exfoliating cinnamon bark, twigs densely arranged, staight or curved, not angled; scale-like leaves absent; awl-shaped leaves in whorls of 3, needle part 4-7(-12) x 1-2.5mm, slightly concave, with white stomatal bands on the inner surface, bluish year round; seed cones blue-black or black, ovoid to globose, 4-9 x 4-6mm, seeds 1 per cone, 2-5mm wide. Conifers.org
Habit:
Dense
Form:
Mounded, Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Central / west Asia, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Small garden/space, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include J. 'Blue Star' (low growing, awl-like leaves only with needle part to 12mm long), J. 'Holger' (compact, densely branched, spreading, <1m tall), and J. 'Meyeri' (upright).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Needle-like
Arrangement:
Whorled
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Bluish, Green
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
n/a (male cone)
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Colour (petals):
Male cone, No flowers, Green, Brown
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Cone (winged seeds)
Fruit Colour:
Black
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant,
Bark Morphology:
Exfoliating, Stringy, Moderately fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Yellow, Brown
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
Dieback, Heart rot, Leaf miner insect, Mites, Nematodes, Rust, Scale insects (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- Level 2 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (CGW) Community Garden West : cv. Blue Star
- (MCC) Main Campus Courtyard : 687 cv. Blue Star
- (ONE) Overpass North side East : 669 cv. Blue Star