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Hollywood Juniper

Juniperus chinensis (jew-NIP-er-us chi-NEN-sis tor-yu-LOH-sah)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

Hollywood juniper is a cultivar shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family that was exported from Japan in 1920. This tree is salt and heat tolerant and is popular in California and the southwest. It can grow up to 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide in an irregular shape as it matures. The upright branches are slightly twisted with swirling tufts of foliage. Hollywood juniper prefers full sun and well-drained soils. It can tolerate part sun, alkaline soils, poor soils, urban conditions and is drought tolerant once established. This tree isn't ideal as a hedge due to the irregular growth pattern and is best used as a specimen or near the corners of buildings and as an accent near gates or other hardscapes in the western part of the country. It has also been used as a bonsai specimen. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Mites and bagworms can infest the foliage. Root rot and bacterial blight can occur in poorly drained soils. See the "Pests 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. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 45 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Alkaline (>8.0); 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 Cephalotaxus harringtonia Cupressus sempervirens Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular; Multi-trunked
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green fragrant needles that are mostly all the adult scale-like leaves.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The small cones are 0.5 inches or less, oval to round and dark blue in color.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
Brown bark has a shaggy appearance
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Lawn; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting; Screen/Privacy; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#drought tolerant #sun #needled evergreen #salt tolerant #deer resistant #landscape plant sleuths course #peeling bark #accent #fragrant needles
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Deer; Dry Soil; Heat; Poor Soil; Salt

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.