Juniper care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Juniper (Juniperus communis) wants full sun and a drink about every 14 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Juniperus communis |
|---|---|
| family | Cupressaceae |
| category | shrub |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 14 |
| min zone | 3 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Juniper?
Very drought-tolerant; water deeply but rarely.
Is Juniper toxic?
Mildly toxic to cats and dogs if eaten in quantity.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is high. It wants at least about 20 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 8.0. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 90 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its tolerance of chalky soil is high. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -43°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: yes.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is medium. At maturity it reaches about 10.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 5 feet. Its roots go down at least 14 inches. Its shape is semi-erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid spring. The flowers are yellow. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is blue. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits medium. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is low. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02