Juniperus procumbens
Japanese garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens) is a ground cover plant. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -34 °C. Drought tolerance: high. Sold in local shops from about PLN 25.
A very low, dense, blue-green evergreen mat: gardens almost always grow the dwarf form 'Nana', which stays barely a hand tall and slowly spreads to one and a half or two metres. It suits rock gardens, sunny slopes, the edge of a retaining wall and bonsai, and copes with hot, dry spots and poor soil, but not with standing water. It has no thorns, yet its pointed needles, set in threes, are prickly, so wear gloves when handling it and keep it away from places where you walk barefoot.
| Group | Ground cover |
| Light | Full sun |
| Size after 10 years | 25 cm × 1.2 m |
| Ultimate size | 20–45 cm × 1.5–2 m |
| Hardiness | down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7) |
| Soil | Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowering | no data |
| Water need | Low |
| Drought tolerance | High |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Root aggressiveness | Low |
| Suckering | no |
| Spreading | Low |
| Distance from buildings | no data |
| Distance from paving | no data |
| Litter | not typical |
| Planting distance | 80 cm |
| For dogs | no data |
| For cats | no data |
| For children | no data |
| Typical price | from about PLN 25 |
Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.
The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.
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Size
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Typical price
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|---|---|
| size not stated | approx. PLN 25 |
Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made
Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need
A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.
Building a rock garden: stone, soil and plants step by step
A rock garden belongs on a sunny, gentle slope, in lean, free-draining soil: one third garden soil, one third coarse sand, one third crushed stone. Lay the stones, all of one kind, in layers leaning the same way and sunk a third to a half into the ground, so that about two fifths of the surface is stone. Four to six plants per square metre are enough: creeping junipers and grasses make the frame, and between them cushion perennials, stonecrops and thymes flower from March to October.
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