Blue Chip Creeping Juniper

Blue Chip Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip')

Blue Chip Creeping Juniper, Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip', is a very low growing, spreading evergreen groundcover valued for its dense, carpet like habit and cool steel blue foliage that holds color through the seasons. Typically staying under 1 foot tall while spreading several feet wide, it creates a tidy living mat that flows over the ground, softens edges, and helps keep weeds in check. The foliage reads as blue gray in spring and summer and often takes on subtle purplish tones in colder weather, giving year round plantings a clean, finished look with minimal upkeep.

Distinctive Features

Blue Chip Creeping Juniper is known for its very low profile, with trailing branches that hug the ground and overlap to form a thick, even carpet over time. The fine textured, scale like foliage is a distinctive blue gray, especially in full sun, and maintains its color well instead of fading to green. Its natural habit allows it to drape over rocks, wall edges, and gentle slopes, emphasizing the contours of the landscape while staying neat and controlled. Hardy, drought tolerant once established, and rarely bothered by deer, this cultivar is a practical choice where you want dependable coverage and cool toned color in sunny, well drained sites.

Growing Conditions

• Light: Grows best in full sun; too much shade leads to thinner growth and reduced blue foliage color.
• Soil: Prefers well drained, sandy or rocky soils; tolerates poor, lean ground but dislikes heavy clay or waterlogged conditions.
• Water: Water regularly during the first season to establish roots, then only during extended dry spells once established.
• Hardiness: Generally hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9 when planted in sunny, well drained locations.
• Size: Very low growing, usually 6 to 10 inches tall with a spread of 4 to 6 feet or more over time.
• Growth Rate: Moderate grower that gradually knits together into a solid carpet over several seasons.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point Groundcover: Use as a low evergreen carpet around boulders, at the front of beds, or near patios where its blue foliage serves as a subtle focal point and unifying layer.
• Slopes and Banks: Excellent for stabilizing sunny slopes, berms, and embankments where mowing is difficult and erosion control is needed.
• Rock and Gravel Gardens: Natural fit for rock gardens and gravel beds, weaving between stones and softening hard edges without adding height.
• Path and Drive Edging: Plant along walks and driveways to create a low, neat evergreen edge that never needs mowing.
• Mass Plantings: Ideal for large scale coverage in residential and commercial landscapes where a durable living mulch is desired.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: After establishment, water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings to encourage deep roots and drought tolerance.
• Pruning: Requires minimal pruning; lightly trim stray or overhanging stems in late winter or early spring to keep edges clean and off paths.
• Fertilizing: Feed in early spring with a light application of a balanced, slow release fertilizer if growth appears thin or foliage looks pale.
• Mulching: Mulch newly planted areas to suppress weeds and conserve moisture until plants spread and create their own living mulch.
• Problem Resistance: Generally resistant to deer browsing and tolerant of wind, heat, and urban conditions when drainage is good.

Why Choose Blue Chip Creeping Juniper?

• Reliable Coverage: Forms a dense, weed suppressing carpet that reduces maintenance in sunny areas.
• Attractive Blue Color: Steel blue foliage with seasonal hints of purple keeps beds and slopes looking finished year round.
• Low, Spreading Habit: Very low height and wide spread make it ideal for covering ground without blocking views or windows.
• Tough and Adaptable: Thrives in poor, dry, and rocky soils once established, making it useful in challenging sites.
• Design Versatility: Works in rock gardens, slopes, coastal plantings, and contemporary designs where a clean evergreen carpet is needed.

With its low, spreading habit, durable nature, and cool blue foliage, Blue Chip Creeping Juniper is a smart, low maintenance solution for covering sunny ground and giving landscapes a polished, cohesive look.