Creeping Junipers-Low growing spreading evergreen; green to silver-blue in color. Root when stem touches ground. Juniper blight and spider mites can be a problem. Cultivars include: Andorra(12-18"; bluish-green color; plum-purple winter color; less desirable type), 'Blue Chip' (8-12"; needs very little pruning; mounds in center. Steel blue all year), `Blue Prince' (8-10"; intense blue color. New introduction from Alberta, Canada), `Dunvegan Blue' (7-10"; bluish-green color), 'Hughes' (12-24"; dull gray-green all year). Prairie Elegance (8-10"; bright grass green color. Vigorous), 'Prince of Wales' (8-10"; medium dark green all year), 'Webber' (8-10"; blue-green color; dense foliage) and 'Wilton' (`Blue Rug') is 3-6"and very flat; silver-blue color; purplish winter color. A Rocky Mt. Juniper selection, Blue Creeper is 1-1 1/2' tall and bright blue in color. Dwarf Japgarden is dense and very prostrate (8-12") but mounds to 18" with age; medium blue color.

Spreading Junipers (Chinese-Broad)-Spreading evergreen with horizontal branching and prickly foliage; green to blue-green to bronze color. Winter breakage problem; mites and winterburn. Cultivars include: Maney has a horizontal layered, irregular habit with multiple upright branches; very dull grayish blue color. Coarse; gets very large; Pfitzer (dark green in color), 'Seagreen' ('Mint Julep') is bright green in color, less spiny foliage, rank growth and larger than Pfitzer. `Seagreen Globe' must be sheared to retain globe shape. Golden Pfitzer is the hardiest of the gold types; little winter injury). Cultivar of Rocky Mt. Juniper: 'Winter Blue' (2-3'. Silver blue color; good winter color). Selections of the Common Juniper include: Blueberry Delight with blue-green foliage, 1-1 1/2' tall, partial shade tolerance, good winter color and a showy bluish berry-like fruit display and Copper Delight has lighter green foliage and a mounded form; coppery tinge in winter. Fair shade tolerance. Singleseed (Flaky) Junipeer cultivar: `Blue Star' (slow growing; 2-3' mound of steel blue foliage. Does better in cool temperatures).

Spreading Junipers (Savin)-Evergreens with upright spreading branches. Green color year around. Scale-like foliage; soft to the touch. Tolerant of partial shade; spider mites can be a problem. Cultivars are smaller, more compact, retain good winter color and are more blight resistant. Cultivars include: 'Arcadia' (bright green; 30-48", spreading), `Blue Danube' (24-36"; dull bluish green color), 'Broadmoor' (15-24"; mounded with soft grayish-green foliage), 'Buffalo' (18-30"; bright green color), `Calgary Carpet' (`Mini-Arcade') 12-15"; soft green ground cover-like; discolors a bit in winter), and 'Skandia' (18-30"; green color with a bluish grey tint).

Russian Cypress-Hardy densely branched flat spreader; green color turning brownish in winter. Foliage resembles arborvitae, growth habit similar to Skandia Juniper. Questionable performance in NDSU trials.

Spreading Yews-Evergreen with flat, soft, dark green needles; susceptible to winter desiccation and browning. Sheltered shaded spot; moist well drained soil. Cultivars include:'Dark Green Spreader' (larger; spreading habit) and 'Taunton' (slow growing, spreader; good resistance to winter burn; best yew for our area). Pyramidal forms are not reliably hardy.
 

Globe Arborvitae- `Globosa' is globe shaped; bright green foliage. Can get quite large; 6-8'. Minimal pruning needed to maintain shape. Sheltered spot with good moisture; east or north best. May winterburn in sun. Other cultivars include: 'Hetz Midget' (dwarf, 20-36", oval-round shape; foliage in vertical layers), `Little Elfin' (dwarf globe; 30-48'), `Little Gem' (tufty informal mound shape; 3'), `Little Giant' (4' globe; slow growing), `Pygmy Globe' (compact, 2-4'; slow growing), Techny (upright pyramidal; needs pruning to maintain globe shape), `Woodwardii' (good globe shape; very similar to `Globosa' but larger), Umbrella (low mounded form; 3'). Compact yellow or golden-leafed cultivars are usually more subject to winterburn.

Mugo Pine-Compact, shrubby pine with 2-3" needles; pruning increases compactness. May becomes open and too large without pruning. Less susceptible to winter damage than other evergreens. Pine Needle Scale can be a problem. Tree form listed as Swiss Mountain Pine.

This page was last updated March 2003

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