• Photo of Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii's)

Plant Profile: Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'

Names

Blue Rug Juniper

  • Photo of Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii's)

Phonetic Spelling:jew-NIP-er-us hor-ih-zon-TAL-iss

Genus:Juniperus

Species:horizontalis

Family:Cupressaceae

'Wiltonii' is a compact, evergreen shrub that typically reaches heights of 4 to 6 inches and spreads 6 to 8 feet wide, making it a popular choice for ground cover. This plant thrives in full sunlight and prefers well-drained soils that range from acidic to slightly alkaline. It exhibits remarkable resilience, being drought-resistant, tolerant of salt, and able to withstand windy conditions. Additionally, it is very cold-hardy and easy to transplant. As a juniper, it serves as an excellent ground cover option, growing at a medium to rapid pace, with its foliage taking on a purplish hue during the winter months. While it is rarely affected by deer, it can be susceptible to juniper blight and spider mites. The plant forms a dense, low-growing shrub with trailing branches.

Quick Identification Tips:

For further details on Juniperus horizontalis, please refer to additional resources.

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Feature Summary

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Image Gallery

Tags

#purple
#evergreen
#full sun tolerant
#blue
#drought tolerant
#green
#salt tolerant
#fast growing
#cpp
#wind tolerant
#well-drained soil
#deer resistant
#groundcover
#cold tolerant
#fantz
#evergreen shrub

Similar Plants

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Feature Summary

Fruit
Plant produces female cones that are 1/4" in diameter, globose, and bluish or greenish-black and glaucous in color.
Black
Blue
< 1 inch
Leaves
All leaves are scale leaves. They are intense silver-blue in color, are closely appressed to stem, and grow on only one side of the stem. The spray is fine-textured and plume-like. It has .3" bright blue cones.
Gray/Silver
Blue
Stem
Branches are very long and floppy and form large, dense mats.
Whole Plant Traits
Dense
Prostrate
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Flowers

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Fruit

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Fruit Description

Plant produces female cones that are 1/4" in diameter, globose, and bluish or greenish-black and glaucous in color.

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Blue

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Leaves

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Leaf Description

All leaves are scale leaves. They are intense silver-blue in color, are closely appressed to stem, and grow on only one side of the stem. The spray is fine-textured and plume-like. It has .3" bright blue cones.

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gray/Silver

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Stem

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Stem Description

Branches are very long and floppy and form large, dense mats.

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Whole Plant Traits

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Cultural Conditions

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Flowers

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Blue

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii' Landscape

Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind