The Plant List

Chinese Juniper
Juniperus chinensis 'Hetzii'
Juniperus chinensis pfitzeriana
Juniperus chinensis pfitzeriana glauca

Common: Various cultivars of Chinese juniper, including Hetz blue juniper, Pfitzer juniper, Blue tip Pfitzer juniper
Family: Cupressaceae
Light: Full sun; tolerates partial shade on coast
Water: Some summer water in hot areas. Hardy nature, drought tolerant. Once established, need very little supplemental irrigation.
Temperature: Accepts wide variety of soil and climate.

Most widely used woody plants in the West; there is a form for almost every landscape use. Ground cover types, shrubs, and tree types. If you are looking for a hedge plant, the many varieties of Chinese junipers will suit you. Coniferous. Chinese junipers are shrub types. The Hetz blue juniper grows to 15 ft., and is fountainlike. The Pfitzer is 5 to 6 ft. call by 15 to 20 ft. across, and is arching, as is the blue tip Pfitzer. Most junipers are dense, possessing aromatic wood and shreddy bark. Blue gray foliage on Hetz, feathering gray-green to silvery blue foliage on the Pfitzers. Fleshy, berrylike cones. Foliage is needlelike, scalelike, or both. Leaves are opposite or in threes with the upper surface having two separate or blended white lines.

Junipers are among the toughest plants in the landscape. Pests to watch for include spider mites, aphids, twig borers. Juniper blight causes twigs and branches to die back. Chinese juniper often becomes crowded and too large in landscapes if the wrong cultivar is selected. Junipers are dioecious, that is, they are like holly - the female or fruit-bearing flowers are all on one plant, while the pollen bearing male flowers are on another. The oil of juniper, extracted from the berries, is used to flavor gin. The Hetz blue juniper and the Pfitzers should be pruned extensively to maintain a compact, symmetrical habit.

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