Where Is The Best Place To Plant Blue Point Juniper?

Want to know the best place to plant blue point juniper?

I’m not kidding when I say there aren’t too many bad places to situate this conical shrub with gorgeous blue-green foliage.

I’m a big fan of blue point juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’) because of its dense foliage and overall versatility.

My wife and I are growing blue point juniper as an ornamental specimen anchoring a corner of our yard.

But it’s commonly grown as a privacy screen — and a pretty effective one at that.

Another great use for blue point junipers? Topiaries! And anyone who knows me knows that I love a good topiary.

Alas, my topiary skills aren’t so hot, so I don’t plan on turning our blue point juniper into a giraffe, Atlas hefting the globe above his head, or anything elaborate like that.

I also like the idea of using blue point juniper as a living Christmas tree. And in Central Florida, where firs can’t thrive year-round, blue point junipers make beautiful real Christmas trees. Some of the cut your own Christmas tree farms in Florida grow and sell blue point junipers!

What You Need To Know About Growing Blue Point Juniper

Blue point juniper is best grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9, which represents a pretty wide swath of the United States. My wife and I live in Zone 9, meaning our climate zone is suitable for growing blue point juniper.

This blue point juniper nursery tag lays out many of the vital details and instructions on how to grow these types of junipers.

But it takes more than just living in the right region of the United States to successfully grow blue point juniper. You’ve got to have the right site conditions, too.

The best place to plant blue point juniper has:

Light shade to full sun
Well-drained soil

How Much Space Does These Juniper Shrubs Need?

You’ll need to think ahead when planting blue point juniper shrubs. They might look cute when you take it home in a 3-gallon pot from your local garden nursery. But give that plant time to grow, and it might not fit in tight spaces anymore.

Consider the following:

Blue Point Juniper Height

These shrubs can get 10′ to 15′ tall.

Blue Point Juniper Width

They can grow about 4′ to 7′ wide.

General recommendations suggest planting blue point juniper about 5′ to 7′ apart. Of course, the specifics may differ a bit depending on your individual landscape goals.

How Far Apart Do You Plant Blue Point Juniper For Privacy Screen?

It’s a fine line… Plant big shrubs like juniper too close together and you can crowd out the plants, potentially causing a host of problems. Space blue point juniper too far apart for your privacy screen and you may end up with gaps that won’t fill in for many years.

I tend to err on the side of caution when planting shrubs for privacy screens. My first concern? Don’t plant too close to permanent fixtures like fences and especially buildings. If you plant shrubs too close to your home, you could cause structural problems, like roots growing into the foundation or basement of your home. Planting shrubs too close to a building can also lead to girdling roots. Or maybe the shrubs will be too close to the house for painting or other maintenance needs and may need to be removed in the future.

I like planting blue point junipers about 3.5′ to 4′ apart along a single row for a privacy screen. You could get away with planting them farther apart — 4′ or 5′ — and block the undesirable views more quickly if the shrubs are staggered along two rows. This helps ensure the foliage grows densely enough to screen out unsightly views without the shrubs being so close together that they hamper each other’s ability to grow and thrive.

How Fast Does Blue Point Juniper Grow?

Junipers in general are not known for growing by leaps and bounds overnight. Our blue point juniper has taken around five years to tack on 3′ of height.

You can classify these shrubs as moderate growers. Most blue point junipers will grow at a rate of 6″ to 12″ each year.

How To Keep Blue Point Juniper Small

You can keep blue point junipers small by pruning them. But I’m putting a huge asterisk here… Junipers in general do not — I repeat, do NOT — take heavy shearing well.

Old juniper wood does not usually produce new shoots. And if you cut too much back on a juniper back, you could kill it. Trimming here and there won’t do much damage. But lopping off a third of the plant in one fell swoop could be what does it in.

The best way to prune a juniper is to make selective cuts on individual branches. Don’t go scissor happy with a juniper, or you could wind up with a shrub that either struggles to survive or is at a higher risk of dying under stress, such as becoming too hot or dry.

Always treat your blue point junipers well, and they’ll take care of you — and do better at hiding those bad views!