Creeping Juniper care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) 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 horizontalis |
|---|---|
| family | Cupressaceae |
| category | shrub |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 14 |
| mature height cm | 30 |
| min zone | 3 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Creeping Juniper?
Groundcover for hot, dry slopes.
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 medium. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 30 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 65 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.5. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.8. 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 tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Its fire tolerance is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -43°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a thicket forming form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 4.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 1 feet. Its roots go down at least 12 inches. Its shape is prostrate. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid spring. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is white. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits low. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. 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: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02