I know how far apart to plant junipers thanks to the many I’ve included in my landscape over the years.
One reason I enjoy planting shrubs like juniper? For one, it’s a dense, rich green plant that is highly versatile and, as group, includes a variety of plants that grow in various habits and sizes.
Plus, juniper reminds me a bit of the fir and conifer plants up north that don’t grow near my home in Central Florida.
Different Types Of Junipers
There are more than 50 kinds of junipers. They come in the forms of groundcovers, shrubs, and trees. Each has its own distinctive appearance. If you’re lucky you may be able to grow many of these different kinds of junipers in your landscape. According to the University of Florida, about 40 species grow in Florida, where I live.
Junipers are excellent for hot, humid places like Florida; they are heat tolerant, love full-sun exposure (though many fare just fine in partial sun/shade), don’t require much maintenance, and don’t have many pest issues. Plus, they do well in salty environments, making them ideal choices near the shore.
As for the many varieties, which range from dwarf cultivars to huge trees. So you do have to think about how far apart to plant junipers.
Junipers In My Landscape
My yard has several kinds of junipers, including:
- Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) — A tall evergreen tree that birds and pollinators love.
- Blue point juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’) — A bushy shrub that works well for growing as a privacy screen or as an accent / focal point in the landscape.
- Parsoni juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Parsonii’) — It’s a dense groundcover that works well as an accent or green mat for a large area.
Deciding how far apart to plant these junipers comes down to the type of juniper as well as their landscaping purpose.
Knowing How Far Apart To Plant Junipers
A lot of this comes down to what kind of juniper you’re planting and why.
- Juniper groundcovers — Space each plant out 3 to 5 feet. They should be touching each other in two to three years if these junipers are planted that far apart.
- Junipers as shrubs — Are you growing these for privacy shrubs or for ornamental purposes? Plant medium-height junipers that grow 5 to 10 feet tall at least 3 to 5 feet apart. If they’re too close, they can crowd each other out, which is detrimental to the health of your plants.
- Junipers as trees — Giants like the eastern red cedar, which can grow more than 40 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide, need plenty of space. Therefore, space tree-form junipers no less than half their projected mature width apart from other plants.
This is a very rough guide, of course. There are so many juniper species out there… However, I have learned that it’s best to err on the side of allowing extra space between junipers. Why? Because if junipers planted too closely together start crowding each other out, you’re not left too many options for pruning.
Junipers are usually slower-growing plants. Therefore, if you prune too much plant away, it could take years for it to grow back. You should never prune more than about a quarter of a juniper back. Old, woody branches don’t normally provide new growth after pruning.
If you have to prune a juniper, make highly conservative and selective cuts. That is, approach it one branch at a time.
You’ll avoid a lot of problems that come with overcrowding if you study the individual spacing recommendations for the specific species or varieties of juniper you want to plant in your landscape.