4 named cultivars

treeN. America Native

Rocky Mountain Juniper

The Story

Plant Bio

Juniperus scopulorum, the Rocky Mountain juniper, is a slow-growing needled evergreen native from western Canada through the western United States into northern Mexico. It forms a narrow columnar to broadly pyramidal tree of about 30 to 40 ft, clothed to the ground in scale-like blue-green foliage. The reddish-brown bark sheds in thin vertical strips.

Female plants carry waxy blue berry-like cones that birds strip through winter, and the dense interior gives good nesting cover. It is markedly more drought and cold hardy than most garden junipers, and is the parent of many narrow silver-blue selections. Deer generally leave it alone.

Uses & Benefits:

A narrow silver-blue evergreen that holds colour all winter and gives vertical structure without needing clipping.

One of the toughest screening conifers for dry, cold, windy sites where broadleaf hedges fail, and it needs almost no maintenance.

Cones feed waxwings and other songbirds, the dense crown provides nesting and winter shelter, and it is a host plant for the juniper hairstreak butterfly.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Tree

Height

420 inches

Width

108 inches

Light

Full Sun

Zones

4, 5, 6, 7

Water

Low once established

Humidity

Prefers dry air; dislikes humid heat

Lifespan

Long-lived; centuries in the wild

Native To

Western Canada, western USA and northern Mexico

Toxicity

Not classed as poisonous, though foliage can irritate skin

Planting

How to Grow

Choose an open site in full sun with free-draining soil.
Avoid low ground where water sits after rain.
Plant with the root flare level, never buried.
Water weekly for the first season only, then taper off.
Keep mulch pulled back a hand's width from the trunk.
Prune only to remove dead wood; it does not resprout from bare wood.

Pro Tip

Never cut back into bare brown wood; junipers carry no dormant buds there and the gap will not close.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Give it all-day sun and moving air to keep foliage dry 🌞
Plant on a slope or raised ground where drainage is poor ⛰️
Shake heavy snow off columnar forms before it splays them ❄️
Tie multi-stemmed plants loosely to hold their shape 🪢

Don't

Do not plant it in heavy wet clay or a shaded corner ❌
Do not shear it into a formal shape; the habit never recovers ❌
Do not site it beside apples or hawthorns if rust is common locally ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Inspect For Scale And Rust Galls
Water In Prolonged Drought

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Evergreen screen or windbreak on dry western groundVertical accent in gravel, xeric and prairie plantingsShelter and nesting cover in bird gardens

Companion Plants

Ponderosa pine Serviceberry Rabbitbrush Blue grama Big sagebrush

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Rocky Mountain Juniper questions

What zones can Rocky Mountain Juniper grow in?

Rocky Mountain Juniper is hardy in USDA Zones 4–7. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Rocky Mountain Juniper deer resistant?

Yes — Rocky Mountain Juniper is rated deer-resistant. Deer typically pass it over, though extreme hunger can override any plant's defenses.

When does Rocky Mountain Juniper bloom?

Rocky Mountain Juniper typically blooms in spring, insignificant through late spring. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Rocky Mountain Juniper need full sun?

Rocky Mountain Juniper does best in full sun (6+ hours).

Is Rocky Mountain Juniper drought tolerant?

Yes — once established (usually after the first full season), Rocky Mountain Juniper handles dry spells with minimal watering. Water deeply its first year to build the root system that makes that possible.