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Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis (jew-NIP-er-us hor-ih-zon-TAL-iss)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

‘Limeglow’ creeping juniper is a low-growing, needled evergreen shrub in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). The species is native to the northern part of North America, where it grows in rocky or sandy soils, from rocky outcrops to streams, making this shrub fairly adaptable to various soil types and pH as long as the soil is well drained. ‘Limeglow’ is drought- and deer-tolerant and fairly salt tolerant. It tolerates hot weather, moderately poor soils, and many air pollutants found in urban areas. It grows slowly to 1 foot tall and spreads to 2 to 3 feet across. Plant 1 foot to 6 feet apart in full sun. 'Limeglow' is an attractive dwarf cultivar with showy, bright lime-green to lemon-yellow foliage that turns to a shade of burnished gold in the winter. Planted in a mass, its low-mounding form will manage erosion along a slope. Place it as an accent in a rock garden, near a foundation, or at the edge of a garden wall. The evergreen foliage will provide winter interest in a cottage garden border planting, lining a walkway, or near a patio or pool. 'Limeglow' was awarded the 'Award of Garden Merit' by the Royal Horticultural Society. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Like most junipers, ‘Limeglow’ is subject to infestation by aphids, bagworms, caterpillars, false spider mites, juniper tip mites, spruce spider mites, juniper and other scales, and juniper webworm. They are also susceptible to blights and some fungal diseases. A wet location may cause root rot. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common juniper diseases and insect pests. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Juniperus horizontalis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 37 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); 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 Juniperus horizontalis 'Bar Harbor' Juniperus horizontalis 'Plumosa' Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Bright lime-green to lemon-yellow feathery scales. Burnished gold winter color.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit color
Blue
Fruit detail
No fruits. Dark blue fleshy cones that resemble berries will mature in a few years but are seldom seen on cultivated plants.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Play value
Textural
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Slope/Bank; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Foundation Planting; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#evergreen #deer resistant #rocky soils tolerant #air pollution tolerant #dry soils tolerant #drought tolerant #shallow soil tolerant #erosion control #winter interest #foundation planting #rock garden #border planting #low maintenance #garden walls #poolside planting #wet soils intolerant #mass planting #cottage garden #patio #walkway
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Juniper Webworm; Juniper Pest Management Calendar; Juniper Tip Dwarf Mite; Juniper Scale Insect; Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Pollution

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.