How big does Creeping juniper grow?

About 30 cm × 2 m after ten years (height × width).

What soil does Creeping juniper grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, sandy, calcareous, acidic.

Is Creeping juniper hardy?

Hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

How much water does Creeping juniper need?

Water need: low. Drought tolerance: high.

How much does Creeping juniper cost?

It sells for roughly €3.20 to €35 in local shops, depending on size.

Creeping juniper

Juniperus horizontalis

Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is a ground cover plant that reaches 30 cm × 2 m after ten years. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: high. Sold in local shops from about €3.20.

Illustration of Creeping juniper — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A ground-hugging, wide-spreading evergreen that covers a sunny bank, the top of a retaining wall or a rock garden with a green or blue-green carpet and smothers weeds. It takes heat, drought and poor, stony soil in its stride, but not waterlogging or shade. Give it room, because over the years it grows two to three metres wide.

Watch out for

Tip blight (fungal dieback of shoot tips) can strike in wet springs and root rot in wet, poorly drained soil. Junipers can host rust fungi that spend the other part of their life cycle on fruit trees. Spider mites, scale and aphids may settle on it, and old plants sometimes die back in the centre.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Low
Care: Low
Size after 10 years: 30 cm × 2 m
Hardiness: down to -40 °C
Foliage: Evergreen

Group	Ground cover
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	30 cm × 2 m
Ultimate size	15–45 cm × 1.2–3 m
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, 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	100 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	from about €3.20

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Sizes and prices available

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.

Size	Typical price
10-20 cm	approx. €5
15-30 cm	approx. €4
20-30 cm	approx. €8.20
20-40 cm	approx. €8
25-35 cm	approx. €9
30-40 cm	approx. €7

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 8, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Ground cover plants Drought-tolerant plants Drought-tolerant plants for sandy soil Evergreen plants Rock garden plants

Looks good next to it

Common juniper

Juniperus communis

Russian sage

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Blue oat grass

Helictotrichon sempervirens