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Sargent Juniper

Juniperus chinensis (jew-NIP-er-us chi-NEN-sis va-RY-eh-tee sar-JEN-tee-eye)

Family: Cupressaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

A mat-like shrub, Juniperus sargentii, commonly known as Sargent Juniper, is good for groundcover as it grows in a prostrate form with ascending branchlets to only two feet. Plants should be spaced 6 to 8 feet apart for spreading. It resembles the genus in adult scale-like leaves of blue-green and juvenile whorled needle-like leaves. It is aromatic and evergreen. The male plants have cones and the female cone is a fleshy blue berry like. It grows best in a sunny location in well-drained average soil. This plant withstands heat, deer, pollution and is moderately salt tolerant, but is subject to Cedar-Apple Rust disease and root rot in wet areas. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: See the "Pests of Conifers" fact sheet to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common juniper diseases and insect pests. Details of Juniperus chinensis follow, many of which apply to Sargent. More information on Juniperus chinensis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 43 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Ilex x attenuata Foster Hybrid Group Lonicera sempervirens Quercus phellos

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Shrub
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Prostrate
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf value
Fragrant
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Scale-like gray-green adult leaves, juvenile needle-like in whorls of three. Closely set. Camphor-like fragrance when crushed.
Flower detail
No flowers, but cones are large and brown and fall apart upon maturity. Female cones are blue fleshy "berry" looking.
Fruit detail
No true fruits, but female cones are blue, fleshy "berry" looking and edible, often used as a seasoning.
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
Ridged and fissured peeling in thin strips
Stem detail
Procumbent stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China, Mongolia, Japan, Himalayas
Wildlife value
Food source
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit; Fragrance; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Recreational Play Area
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Children's Garden
Design feature
Foundation Planting
Garden tags
#salt tolerant #evergreen #children's garden #deer resistant #fragrant leaves #bird friendly #heat tolerant #evergreen shrub #air pollution tolerant #Asian garden #gray-green leaves #full sun tolerant #low maintenance #playground plant #wildlife friendly
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Deer; Salt; Urban Conditions
Particularly resistant to
Deer, salt, ,air pollution, heat
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.