How-to Guide
How to Grow Juniper Shrubs
The short answer
Junipers (Juniperus spp.) are among the toughest landscape evergreens, but they are non-negotiable about two things: full sun and well-drained soil. Plant them where they get direct sun most of the day, water to establish, and then leave them mostly alone; established junipers need minimal supplemental water or fertilizer.
When pruning, only cut into growth that still carries green foliage. Junipers do not form new buds on old bare wood, so a cut back into the leafless interior 'dead zone' leaves a permanent hole. Prune lightly in spring as new growth pushes, snipping branch tips, or remove entire branches at their base.
What junipers are and where they grow
Junipers range from flat groundcovers like creeping and 'Blue Rug' types, through mid-size spreaders, up to large upright shrubs and trees. Foliage runs from green to steel blue. They shrug off heat, wind, and poor soil, which is why they anchor so many low-maintenance landscapes.
The trade-off: they sulk and thin out in shade, and they rot in wet soil. If your site is shady or stays damp, choose a different shrub rather than fighting the juniper's nature.
Planting junipers
- 1Full sun, drained soil — Site in full sun with well-drained soil. Avoid low, wet spots and heavy irrigation zones.
- 2Space to the mature spread — Check the cultivar's mature height and spread and space accordingly. Room for air movement keeps foliage dry and reduces fungal disease, and it eliminates most future pruning.
- 3Water only to establish — Water regularly after planting until established, then cut back to minimal supplemental irrigation. Established junipers rarely need fertilizer.
✔ Groundcover junipers planted on a slope or spilling over a wall get the drainage they love and cover ground with zero mowing.
Pruning junipers without wrecking them
Every juniper develops an interior zone of bare, leafless wood as it matures. That zone cannot regrow: junipers do not push new buds from old wood. So the golden rule is to keep all cuts within foliage-bearing wood.
The best time to prune is spring, when the plant is pushing new growth. Tip-prune to control size and encourage density, or remove a whole branch back to its point of origin if it is dead or badly placed. What you cannot do is shear an overgrown juniper down to a smaller size; if a juniper has genuinely outgrown its spot, replacement is usually the honest answer.
Common problems
Most juniper failures are site problems: root rot in wet soil, thinning in shade, and fungal tip blights where plants are crowded and stay wet. Spider mites can bronze foliage in hot, dusty spots, and bagworms occasionally strip branches. Good siting and spacing prevent the majority of these.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC — Growing and Using Juniper: Large Shrubs and Trees — Junipers require full sun and well-drained soil; water to establish then minimal irrigation; prune on new growth in spring and never cut back into the dead zone because new buds do not form on old wood
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC — Growing and Using Juniper Groundcovers and Small Shrubs — Groundcover juniper selection, spacing to mature size for air movement and disease reduction