Flaky Juniper 'Blue Carpet'

Flaky Juniper 'Blue Carpet' (Juniperus squamata 'Blue Carpet') — one of the most popular creeping juniper cultivars, prized for its bright silvery-blue colour and its ability to form a dense, thick carpet. It is ideal for ground-cover plantings, rockeries and alpine gardens.

Main characteristics of the cultivar

• Crown shape and habit: A creeping, spreading shrub with horizontal branch growth. The crown is very dense and thick; the branches spread along the ground, forming a picturesque, textured cover. The branches radiate outward from the centre of the bush.
• Needle colour and texture: The needles are awl-shaped, short, dense and stiff to the touch. The main advantage of this cultivar is the intense silvery-blue or steely shade with a glaucous bloom, which is retained throughout the year. In spring the young growth has a brighter, lemon-blue colour.
• Growth rate: Moderate. The annual growth in width is about 15–20 cm, in height — only 3–5 cm. The bush spreads slowly in width.
• Size: An adult plant (at 10 years of age) usually reaches 30–40 cm in height and spreads to a diameter of up to 1.5–2 m. When fully grown it can reach 2.5–3 m in width.