'Aurea' is a needled evergreen cultivar that can thrive in a wide range of soil types. It is a low-growing juniper, maturing at 4 feet high, that is very tolerant of adverse conditions, with the exception of heat and humidity, and is hardy through USDA Zones 2 to 6. Drought tolerance is good after it is established. It grows in well-drained sunny areas and even in dry, rocky, and sandy soils. It has spreading branches and ascending main branches which have a striking yellow color giving it its name. Its branches are considered procumbent; that is, branches that grow along the ground without setting roots. It has strong, yellow variegated shoots that will fade over time. Depressa refers to the flattened, low growing form; Aurea comes from the golden-yellow foliage. The parent plant var. depressa is considered to be one of the most common junipers found in the garden. It does not do well in heat and humidity and these junipers are not widely successful below USDA Zone 6. It is best grown in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. These plants are particularly noted for their superior tolerance for cold temperatures and will even survive within the Arctic Circle. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious diseases or insect problems. Juniper blight, common on some of this genus, is not a frequent problem for this species. Rust and bag worms do sometimes occur. 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.
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 nicheArctostaphylos uva-ursiChamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea'Juniperus communis 'Echiniformis'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Vase
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Awl-shaped needles with a glaucous white band on the upper surface. New growth is yellow, it fades with time. Can brown in winter. Grown for its foliage.