Creeping Juniper Guide: How to Grow Creeping Juniper

Creeping juniper, known by its scientific name Juniperus horizontalis or by its common names blue rug juniper or creeping cedar, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the family Cupressaceae. This low-growing conifer is a native plant in much of Canada, Alaska, and North America, including in Maine, Montana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York, and Wyoming.

The creeping juniper shrub has long, tendril-like branches covered in yellow-green or blue-green foliage resembling needles. Their bloom time falls between April and May when they develop white blooms in dark blue and berry-like seed cones. Creeping juniper is commonly used as ground cover in home landscapes or rock gardens and will grow on slopes, hillsides, or sand dunes.

Creeping juniper thrives in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9. The best time to plant creeping juniper plants is between the early and late fall or in early spring right when the temperature begins to rise.

You can propagate creeping juniper from cuttings, but this slow-growing plant will take years to establish if you choose to plant it that way. The quickest way to plant creeping juniper is by transplanting a mature plant that you have purchased from a garden center. Here is an overview of how to plant creeping juniper by transplanting it.

1. 1. Choose your location and amend your soil. Your creeping juniper will need full sun and well-draining soil to thrive, although they can tolerate sandy soil or poor soils. Plant your creeping juniper in a location with lots of space because it will spread out. Try growing junipers near retaining walls or in rock gardens as ground cover.
2. 2. Prepare the soil and plant. Dig a small hole in the soil that is roughly twice the size of your juniper plant’s root ball. Carefully remove your creeping juniper from its pot and gently knead the root ball to prepare it for planting.
3. 3. Plant your creeping juniper. Plant your creeping juniper in the ground so that its roots are covered, then backfill the hole with soil and some mulch and gently pat down the soil.
4. 4. Water. Immediately water your creeping juniper after you plant it in the soil. Following this initial watering, your creeping juniper should need very little watering or none at all.

Creeping junipers are very hardy and low-maintenance plants and won’t require much attention, but it is good to know what their requirements are and to monitor your juniper’s health.

1. 1. Provide plenty of direct sunlight. Creeping juniper plants prefer full sun and direct sunlight. If you’re planting them on a hillside, make sure that they are facing the sun so they can get enough light.
2. 2. Water only after planting or during drought. Juniper shrubs are drought-tolerant and do well in very hot climates, so they won’t require much watering once they are established. Water them once or twice a week for a month after planting, and you may need to water them if there is a drought or not enough rainfall.
3. 3. Prune for size and shape. Your juniper won’t require pruning or cutting to stay healthy, but you can trim it back if it starts to take over your garden.

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