‘Silver Spreader’ juniper is an evergreen shrub in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is a cultivar of eastern redcedar, a conifer native to North America that grows from Maine south to Florida and west to South Dakota and Texas. This juniper is easily grown in dry to moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in full sun. In good conditions it will grow to 2 to 3 feet in height and spread horizontally to reach a width of 4 to 6 feet. It tolerates a broad range of soils and environments. It is also deer resistant. ‘Silver Spreader’ is grown for its unusual greenish silver foliage. Plant this shrub in a lawn or along a slope or bank. It is appropriate for smaller spaces and works well in small groups or as a border planting in rock or winter gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Juniper species are susceptible to infestation by aphids, bagworms, caterpillars, false spider mites, juniper scale, juniper tip mite, juniper webworm, and spruce spider mites.This shrub and its cultivars are susceptible to Cercospora needle blight, Phomopsis, and other blights, as well as some fungal diseases. It shares with apple trees a susceptibility to a rust fungus called Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae . This fungus causes "cedar apples" on juniper twigs and dark leaf spots on apple leaves. 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 virginiana .
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.