Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Angelica Blue Pfitzer Juniper

Juniperus chinensis (jew-NIP-er-us chi-NEN-sis)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

Angelica Blue is a variety of Juniperus chinensis that is a densely branched, wide-spreading shrub at 6-10 feet wide. This variety is one of the low growing junipers admired for its attractive, glaucous, bright blue-green needle foliage. It spreads low to the ground at 5-6 feet high; Its branches are more arching than creeping making it popular as a foundation plant. The name "Pfitzer" denotes varietals that are hybrids of J.chinensis x J.sabina. Details of Juniperus chinensis, many of which apply to Angelica Blue, follow. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: See potential insect problems of conifers fact sheet to the left The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common puniper diseases and insect pests. More information on Juniperus chinensis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 39 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Vase' Juniperus chinensis 'Old Gold' Juniperus chinensis 'Sea Green'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Dense; Spreading
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf feel
Rough
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Glaucous, bright blue-green needles. Grown for its foliage.
Flower detail
No flowers, but cones are large and brown and fall apart upon maturity. Females' cone is light blue, fleshy "berry"
Fruit detail
No true fruits, but female cones are blue fleshy "berry" looking and edible, often used as a seasoning.
Bark color
Light Brown
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Play value
Colorful
Food & Medicine

Edibility

Immature berries are used as a flavoring in cooking.

Uses (ethnobotany)

foundation planting, slopes, specimen plant

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Asian Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting
Garden tags
#salt tolerant #evergreen #deer resistant #rocky soils tolerant #air pollution tolerant #dry soils tolerant #low growing #low maintenance #specimen #shrub #foundation planting #evergreen shrub
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Deer; Pollution; Salt
Particularly resistant to
Deer, salt, air pollution

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.