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Table Top Juniper

Juniperus scopulorum (jew-NIP-er-us skop-yew-LOR-um)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

Juniperus scopulorum is a needled evergreen tree or shrub. 'Tabletop' is a cultivar of J. scopulorum and at a mature height of 6 feet and a width of 8 feet, is more of a shrub than a tree. It features a soft pyramidal habit with a variety of needle colors, including light green or gray-green to dark green to silver-blue. 'Tabletop' has a flattened top and outspreading branches. Its leaves are fragrant, scale-like and compressed. 'Tabletop' does best in full sun with low to medium moisture and a well-drained location. It tolerates a number of soil types, including alkaline soils, is drought resistant, and requires little maintenance. A minimal amount of pruning is required to retain a desirable shape, including use as a low hedge. Pruning should be done in early spring. 'Tabletop' is typically used as a landscape plant in the northern and western US states. Its neat flat top form makes it an excellent choice for a hedge. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Phomopsis blight, seiridium canker, and cedar-apple rust are diseases that may affect this plant. Monitor for pests, diseases or other ailments on a regular basis. 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 disease and insect pests. More information on Juniperus scopulorum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 39 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH 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 Cephalotaxus harringtonia Nerium oleander Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Spreading; Vase
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Acicular
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
This shrub has silvery-blue tightly appressed leaves that are scale-like and compressed
Flower detail
Conifers do not have flowers.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
A bird friendly plant.
Attracts
Songbirds
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#evergreen #deer resistant #dry soils tolerant #drought tolerant #needled evergreen #low maintenance #shrub #heat tolerant #poor soil tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Juniper Pest Management Calendar; Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Poor Soil

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.