Spartan juniper trees grow in a pyramidal shape with dense branches and deep green year-round color. They grow to be just 15 feet tall, with a narrow spread of 3-5 feet, making them great additions to compact spaces. They don’t require any pruning and will retain their columnar shape without being clipped.
Are juniper berries poisonous?
The berries produced by Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus are toxic. Only consume berries from juniper plants that you can positively identify. The entire juniper plant contains Savin oil which is harmful to the kidneys even in small doses. Prolonged ingestion can cause severe kidney damage.
What are the berries on a juniper tree?
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry, but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which gives it a berry-like appearance.
What is the lifespan of a Spartan juniper?
Juniper trees can live up to 20 years if well cared for.
What is a Spartan juniper?
Spartan juniper trees are a narrow cultivar of Chinese juniper, Juniper chinensis. The original tree is native to northeast Asia, including China. The Spartan cultivar is also known as Chinese Spartan juniper. Juniper has been grown in China for hundreds of years, well before western gardeners “discovered” the tree.
Is Spartan juniper toxic?
The leaves of this juniper are toxic but have been used over the years in certain home remedy ointments. Foliage is repellent to lice, and oils are extracted from the plant and used in traditional insecticides.
How do you know if juniper berries are safe?
Look for a plant with berries that appear blue on it in this open sunny area. The berries are a little smaller than regular blueberries and grown at the ends of the branches. You will smell a pine aroma that is very strong as you come closer to the juniper plant.
Which junipers are poisonous?
Savin Juniper is known to be toxic and potentially deadly poisonous if taken in large enough quantities. It can be difficult to accurately distinguish between different species of cultivated junipers because they have been bred to have unique features not present in their wild forms.
How do I know what kind of juniper I have?
A helpful way to perfect juniper tree identification is by looking at its cones. Juniper cones on male trees are small and either yellow or tan. The female plants produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. Northwest species berries turn blue at maturity, but some species have red berries.
Are Spartan juniper fast growing?
The Most Popular Juniper
The tough yet attractive Spartan Juniper is a fast-growing, highly durable evergreen. In fact, it’s now considered by most growers to be the most popular upright juniper on the market.
Why are my Spartan junipers dying?
However, despite their resilience, junipers are prone to a couple of diseases and insect infestation that cause browning. Bagworms, spider mites, and the fungal diseases tip blight or twig blight, may cause the branches and twigs to lose their vibrant green color.
Are Spartan junipers prickly?
Texture is very similar to that of Torulosa Juniper – not quite as needle like, or prickly as many junipers though. Slightly softer feel to the foliage.
Are Spartan junipers toxic to dogs?
ANSWER: The University of California – Davis list Juniperus (Junipers) in their Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants list as having a minor toxicity (class 2) for pets and children. This rating means ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea.
Do birds like Spartan juniper?
Those juniper berries are also the magnet that attracts birds. Everything from eastern bluebirds and evening grosbeaks to wild turkeys and sharp-tailed grouse devour the fruit.
How tall is a 5 gallon Spartan juniper?
15 to 20 Ft
It is a moderate grower, reaching a height of 15 to 20 Ft.
Can you trim Spartan juniper?
Trimming the Top
To trim the top of a “Spartan” juniper, cut back the terminal end of each branch to remove the final, or apical, bud. This encourages growth of new side shoots, encouraging the plant to become more full and giving it a strong shape.
How far apart do you plant Spartan junipers?
Spacing Your Trees
Space Your Spartan Juniper 2-2.5 feet apart for a privacy screen planting. You can also plant them 2-2.5 feet apart diagonally with a zig-zag pattern to get screen coverage even more quickly.
How deep are Spartan juniper roots?
Although the precise depth of the plant’s roots depends in part on how much moisture is available, plants in their native, dry habitat root to a depth of 5 to 14 inches.
Can a juniper be planted close to a house?
Considering all that this juniper cultivar has to offer, be selective where you place it, but don’t put it near a house because it is a highly flammable plant.
Are junipers hard to dig out?
Since they are low-growing shrubs with soft branches, they can be difficult to dig up. Junipers do not provide much to grip on to, so they are hard to pull out of the ground. However, with a some pruning shears and a shovel, removing junipers can be a manageable task.
Do junipers have aggressive roots?
Junipers typically adapt well to a variety of different well-drained soils, but most require full sun exposure or light shade to grow. However, they form coarse root systems, which make them very difficult to transplant, except while they remain young.
Do junipers attract wasps?
Honeydew, the undigested plant sugars that pass through the insects, drops onto foliage — or anything under a tall juniper — and draws flies, bees, wasps and ants to feed on the sugary goo. When the aphids or scale are active, they can attract a large number of flying and crawling insect pests.
Do junipers attract bugs?
Tolerant of various environmental conditions, these hardy bushes still occasionally attract various bugs.
