Looking for a tough, hardy ground cover plant that provides year-round visual appeal? Blue Rug Juniper is one of our top picks. Planting this evergreen shrub is kind of like growing a silver and blue carpet outside. Spreading up to a foot per year while staying just a few inches from the ground, Blue Rug Juniper can quickly scale to larger spaces in your yard or garden.
While prized for its foliage, Blue Rug Juniper is also applauded for its durability. Through the harshest elements of each season, this juniper will not only hold its own, but continue to thrive.
Plant Blue Rug Juniper in full sun and well-drained soil. The plant really loves the sun and heat in summer. It will even become drought tolerant. One seller says Blue Rug Juniper is “one of the best garden plants for hot, dry locations, and poor soils – and it thrives in regular conditions too.” Don’t worry during winter; Blue Rug Juniper can easily withstand temperatures down to minus 40 degrees F.
Did You Know?
Blue Rug Juniper was first discovered in 1914 on an island off the coast of Maine.
Other Fun Facts About Blue Rug Juniper
- Jacob van Heiningen, the Dutch nursery owner in Connecticut who discovered Blue Rug Juniper, jokingly named the plant, “Wiltonii,” partly inspired by the Wilton Carpets brand in England.
- Blue Rug Juniper is deer resistant and is generally free of pests and diseases.
- Blue Rug Juniper is resistant to salt, making it the ideal ground cover in Northeast coastal areas that have cold winters. It can deal with both the ocean salt and the ice melt salt!
