Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'

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Juniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'

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Kemper Code: R540

Common Name: creeping juniper
Zone: 3 to 9
Plant Type: Needled evergreen
Family: Cupressaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 0.25 to 0.5 feet
Spread: 8 to 10 feet
Bloom Time: Non-flowering
Bloom Color: Non-flowering
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low

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Plant Culture and Characteristics

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Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Grow in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Adaptable to a wide range of soils, but prefers a dryish, sandy soil. To cover a large area, plant 3-4' apart. Tolerant of hot, dry conditions.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

A creeping, flat, low-growing, coniferous, evergreen shrub which features brilliant gold foliage changing to a golden bronze in winter. Grown primarily as a groundcover, the soft, feathery, scale-like foliage of this unique cultivar will eventually spread 8-10' but will only rise 4" off the ground. Creeping branches root as they grow along the ground. Fleshy seed cones (berries) are infrequently produced. Species is commonly called creeping juniper.

Problems:

Juniper blight can be a serious problem. Lesser problems include mites, borers and rust.

Uses:

An excellent groundcover which is relatively low-maintenance once established. Also a good rock garden plant. Effective in mass plantings around homes, foundations and shrubs. Can be useful for erosion control on slopes. Interesting small accent or specimen value due to gold foliage color.