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Hetz Blue Juniper

Juniperus chinensis (joo-NIP-er-us chi-NEN-sis HET-zee-aye GLAW-kuh)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Understory

A graceful upright small conifer in the Juniperaceae family that is prized for its dramatic blue-green foliage. Its dense branching habit works well as a privacy screen, border, or divider. Planted en masse, it helps with erosion control. It effectively blocks both hot and cold winds when planted in a tight row. It also works as a single specimen where its fountain shape is best seen. It is a low-maintenance plant suited to shearing into formal shapes and is seen in Asian or contemporary gardens. Details of Juniperus chinensis follow, many of which apply to Hetzii Glauca. 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 juniper diseases and insect pests. More information on Juniperus chinensis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 38 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory
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 Chionanthus retusus Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' Thuja occidentalis

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf value
Fragrant
Hairs present
No
Flower detail
No flowers, but cones are large and brown and fall apart upon maturity. Female cones are blue fleshy "berry" looking.
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit detail
No true fruits, but female cones are blue, fleshy "berry" looking and edible, often used as a seasoning.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Birds feed on berries.
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit; Fragrance; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Recreational Play Area
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Children's Garden
Design feature
Border; Specimen
Garden tags
#small tree #low maintenance #drought tolerant #specimen #erosion control #mass planting #evergreen #children's garden #air pollution tolerant #hardy #border planting #edible fruits #playground plant #wildlife friendly #fragrant needles
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
This plant is seldom damaged by deer. Drought tolerant and tolerant of city air pollutants.

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.