Plant Profile: Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip'

This low-growing, mounding evergreen serves well as a groundcover, spreading across the soil without establishing roots. While it resembles other groundcover junipers, Juniperus horizontalis stands out due to its striking mauve to deep purple hues that emerge in colder weather. It thrives in various soil types, particularly favoring dry, sandy conditions, and it is crucial to ensure good drainage, as it cannot withstand wet soil.

You can often find this plant flourishing along coastal cliffs, sand dunes, stream banks, and rocky outcrops. The 'Blue Chip' variety features blue needles, and like its counterparts, its foliage tips take on a purplish tint during the winter months.

In terms of pests and diseases, it shows some vulnerability to phomopsis blight, and root rot may occur if drainage is inadequate.