General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Soil pH Preferences: Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5)
Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0)
Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Moderately alkaline (7.9 – 8.4)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 6b
Plant Height: 3 to 6 feet, to 9 feet
Plant Spread: 10 to 20 feet
Leaves: Evergreen
Needled
Fruit: Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Fall
Late fall or early winter
Winter
Flowers: Other: tiny brownish male or greenish female cones
Flower Color: Brown
Green
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Underground structures: Taproot
Suitable Locations: Beach Front
Uses: Provides winter interest
Groundcover
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Birds
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Stolons and runners
Pollinators: Wind
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Dioecious
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Image
Common names
  • Ground Juniper
  • Mountain Juniper
  • Old Field Juniper
  • Prostrate Juniper
  • Depressed Common Juniper
  • Flat Juniper

Photo Gallery
Location: Uinta Mountains, Uintah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-26
Location: Dinosaur Gardens, Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, Vernal, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-06-26
Location: American Fork Canyon, Utah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-08-11
Location: Albion Basin, Alta, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-08-12
An example of natural bonsai.
Location: Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Alta, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-08-12
Location: Jenkins Arboretum in Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-03-18
shrub in spring
Location: Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Alta, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-08-12
Location: Jenkins Arboretum in Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-03-18
upper branches and foliage
Location: Jenkins Arboretum in Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-03-18
close-up of foliage
Location: Jenkins Arboretum in Berwyn, PA
Date: 2012-12-30
shrub in winter
Location: Jenkins Arboretum in Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-12-30
upper branches and foliage in winter
Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jan 15, 2018 4:51 PM concerning plant:
    This variety of (depressa) is the North American form of the Common Juniper species that grows wild in different areas all over the Northern Hemisphere. In North America it is native over most of Alaska and Canada, areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, areas of the Dakotas, northern Minnesota, central & southern Wisconsin, most of Michigan, northwest Indiana, northern Ohio, areas of Pennsylvania & New York, much of New England, and some areas down the Appalachians. It is usually a low, wide-spreading shrub, but can be a groundcover. The sharp, prickly awl-like needles are whorled in 3's, are gray-green to blue-green with white stripes down the middle of the needles, and foliage gets a purplish to brown cast in winter. The female plants bear blue to gray berry-like cones from late summer into winter that are loved by birds and mammals. This straight species variety is not used in landscaping or sold at conventional nurseries. A few native plant nurseries may sell this for naturalistic landscapes. There are a number of different cultivars from the Common Juniper that were once occasionally sold in the US, but I don't know of any that are really good plants. A bunch of other junipers make better ornamental choices.

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