#895 Juniperus squamata Common Names: singleseed juniper, flaky juniper Family: Cupressaceae (cypress Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #895 e-mail this page

The Juniperus squamata cultivar 'Meyeri' will grow into a big gnarly shrub up to 20 ft (6.1 m) tall.

Two varieties are recognized. Juniperus squamata var. fargesii is a tree to 60 ft (18.3 m) tall, usually with multiple trunks; the bark peels in long strips and the branch tips are conspicuously pendulous. Variety squamata has several popular cultivars. 'Blue Carpet' makes a fine groundcover; it has bluish gray foliage and gets 8-12 in (20.3-30.5 cm) tall while spreading out 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m). 'Blue Star' is an upright, rounded bush to 16 in (4.9 cm) tall and 2 ft (0.6 m) across. 'Meyeri', the commonest cultivar, is a dense shrub, 10-20 ft (3.1-6.1 m) tall and spreading about the same; it has powdery blue needles and the tips of the young shoots arch and nod in the breeze. 'Meyeri' grows into an irregular, somewhat ungainly form, and is usually disfigured by persistent dead twigs and foliage. Some cultivars of J. chinensis and J. procumbens occasionally are labeled as belonging to this species, but they can be distinguished from J. squamata by their cones which contain several seeds, not just one, and they do not have nodding branch tips. Some juniper cultivars in the trade are interspecific hybrids of uncertain provenance.

The cultivar 'Meyeri' is distinquished by its blue foliage and nodding branch tips.

Culture
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Moisture: Singleseed juniper can tolerate brief droughts. It requires a well-drained soil.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4 - 8.
Propagation: The junipers can be difficult to grow from seed, with germination sometimes taking several years. They're easy to start from cuttings, though. Try rooting softwood cuttings in summer with bottom heat under mist, or mature wood cuttings in winter in a cool location.

This variety of singleseed juniper called 'Bluestar' boasts beautiful color, low habit and fine dense texture making it an attractive choice for use in rock gardens and as groundcover.

Features
Most species of juniper - for example, creeping juniper (J. horizontalis), Parson's juniper (J. davurica 'Parsonii') and eastern red cedar (J. virginiana) - have two kinds of leaves: needlelike juvenile leaves and scalelike adult leaves which are closely pressed to the twigs. Singleseed juniper never develops the scalelike adult leaves.

Steve Christman 12/21/00; updated 3/18/04

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