Wichita Blue Juniper is one of the beautiful hedge plants which we see in many school and college landscapes. Hedge plants are those plants which look like shrubs which have closely spaced branches and it forms a pyramidal shape. These plants are pruned according to what shape would be good near the college building or a school garden.
Mostly it is used as a two side boundary plant , when you first see this hedge plant you can’t guess its exact color as this one is not dark green but silver blue in color which shines for a whole year. They are attractive plants as they turn their head toward you and or upright. Even these are stronger than many other plants in front of heavy winds.
Background information:
Wichita Blue Juniper are densely bushy shrub plants (trees) which grows about 18 feet tall(means 5.5m) and spreads about 8 feet (means 2.5m) when mature according to Oregon State University. It comes from the Cupressaceae family and the binomial or scientific name of this shrub is Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’.
One common name this plant is known by Rocky Mountain Juniper and it grows in USDA hardiness zone 3. It has silver blue leaves and grows in pyramid type shape but you can trim it in any shape that’s its the beauty of this plant. Juniperus scopulorum is not available in many store and also is always stock out before anyone wants to buy it.
Specification:
Table of Contents
| Family | Cupressaceae |
| Scientfic Name | Juniperus scopulorum |
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 3-7 |
| Width | 5-8 feet |
| Height | 15-25 feet |
| Light | Full Direct Sunlight |
| Soil | fertile and well drained |
| Watering | Occasionally once Roots Established |
| Fertilizer | Liquid based |
| Uses | Screen cover , Window Hide, Windbreak |
Here is the Links to buy Wichita blue Juniper Variety:
Blue Arrow Juniper
Blue Rug Juniper
CHECK PRICE IN ETSY(recommended)
Blue Point Juniper Trees
CHECK PRICE IN ETSY(recommended)
How to Grow Wichita Blue Juniper
To grow these shrub plants first you need to know about its USDA hardiness zones which are from 3 to 7. These shrubs love getting direct sunlight and it doesn’t even affect its foliage(leaves). They want a minimum of 5-6 hours direct sunlight as they need to build themselves strong.
Grow Wichita Blue Juniper : They highly dislike wetness in Soil and its best if you use well drained soil there roots can adjust to it easily. For its minimum care you can use sandy soil , they can grow very well in that as well. When these shrubs are young you need consistent watering as they require it in those times. Here are the tips to grow juniper shrub successfully:
Light
They like sunlight and being in sunlight for 5-6 hours daily. The sunlight won’t hurt these plants so don’t worry they can thrive in drought situations and warmer days.
Soil
You can use any soil which is well drained. Well drained soil meaning sand can be mixed with either compost or peat moss.
Pruning
You can prune Wichita Blue Juniper anytime in the whole year but experts suggest you should prune it in early fall. You can give it any shape it may be rounded , square, circle, polygonal , any shape according to your liking. You can prune it once every year and don’t worry it just boosts its growth.
Make sure not to cut the whole branch which doesn’t have any foliage as they might not grow again if you do that. This is a pyramidal shape tree so make sure to keep the Top part narrower than that of the bottom. Trim it and give it a good shape.
Hedge or Screen
I used a word screen or hedge meaning this plant will be providing a screen to hide to hide a view, it is best for those who neighbor peep in other houses. Also it provides shade to many small plants which only grow in a shade area.
Fertilizer
Organically made compost is the best fertilizer for Wichita Blue Juniper is general purpose fertilizer that works very well in Juniperus scopulorum plants, but makes sure no unlimited feed of fertilizer.
Check below the best fertilizer for blue juniper.
Fertilizer
Watering
When they are younger small size plants they need consistency in watering after that they can tolerate drought or hot conditions very well. Don’t flood water as you may end up hurting its root system. Water it when it seems the soil is dried.
Wichita Blue Juniper Care
To Care for Wichita Blue Juniper, You need to be consistent in watering but don’t overdo it. One good thing about this plant is they don’t drop any seeds; it means you don’t have to clean anything.
The reason it doesn’t drop seeds is that they are male shrubs and they don’t flower berries which pop out seeds and it means they are less care and maintenance plants , but they look very good and bright. If you have a big garden then grow these shrubs and make boundary lines , they are perfect in making a beautiful and successful landscape. Even with Small garden you can grow these as they require very less care.
Wichita Blue Juniper Propagation
Here are the steps on how to propagate Wichita Blue Juniper :
1. You need to cut a 7-11 inch long healthy stem.
and remove the leaves from the bottom 3 inches.
2. Prepare well drained soil.
using perlite and peat moss , then moist it by sprinkling water on the soil until water leaks out from the container.
3. Make sure the pot has 1-2 holes in it
then wait until 25 min so soil can be set.
4. Use rooting hormone.
which you can get from online and offline both market it is available, If it is in liquid form , mix some water with it and dip the cutting in the liquid for about 1-2 minutes or if it is in powder form dip stem’s bottom end in the powder and
5. Put this cutting
in your prepared potting soil container then water it fully.
6. If you have 2 , 3 cuttings.
of this plant you can put them in the same pot but make sure all have 2 inches of space between them.
Wichita Blue Juniper Pruning
here is the steps on How to prune Wichita Blue Juniper :
1. You Need a Sterilize Cutting tool.
do trim them according to your choice. Make sure don’t cut the parent stem where the branches meet.
2. Check for dead leaves & branches.
To tell you what you need to cut is by seeing any dead branches or leaves , also remove any diseased leaf if you find one.
3. Also don’t do over cutting.
as it needs some green leaves on them so that the center of the plant stays stable.
4. The Stem which is dormant.
should be removed as it will not produce new branches and foliage.
5. With Shape in Mind.
you can easily prune it , where you see bulky branches you can reduce them, but again leave some greener ones also.
6. Only cut the faded foliage.
and leave the healthier ones. Don’t worry much as these shrubs(Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’) are very strong even if you cut them wrongly ,it will surely grow again.
7. Give it a nice shape and leave it.
pruning is the way to limit its over growth and revive fresh growth.
Here is the Links to buy Wichita blue Juniper Variety:
Blue Arrow Juniper
Blue Rug Juniper
Blue Point Juniper Trees
Wichita Blue Juniper Benefits
There are many benefits(uses) you may know and you don’t know about. I will be sharing every uses of this shrub plant. These can be pruned in any shape according to its master needs. Now Here are some Wichita blue juniper benefits :
- These shrubs(Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’) can reduce the upcoming sound if they have dense branching and lots of leaves. If your house is near by Road So you must have heard daily noise coming from cars and trunks that may give you headaches , planting this can dramatically reduce sound.
- My Favorite and the best thing it would do is it can trap the sandy winds and dust coming with air and these are the ones which stops the snow coming in roads, they even protect you from heavy winds which sometimes breaks windows.
- These shrubs are used to separate our homes and even give them boundaries. Wichita Blue Juniper can help you define an area like that much is for gardening , other one is for diving swimming pool area etc.
- It also helps in privacy as many people don’t like neighbors who look into other houses. These shrubs are best to hide a view of a window or house.
- These have also been used as boundaries for swimming pools as they can hide certain views and privacy is also a concern in swimming pools.
- When These shrubs become big trees it can also provide shade for sitting and also to filter out light coming inside the house when people sleep in a day nap. You can grow many plants in its shade like Jacob’s Ladder Plant and China doll plant etc.
Most Search Questions
Wichita blue juniper problems
Some common diseases that affect this wichita blue juniper include root rot, characterized by yellow foliage and stunted growth, and tip blight, which causes browning and death of branch tips. It is essential to have well-draining soil while growing Wichita Blue Juniper and to stay away from places with poor drainage. It is crucial to regularly check for illness signs and to take the right action when necessary.
Phomopsis Tip Blight:
Phomopsis Tip Blight in trees(Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’) can get affected by a fungus named Phomopsis juniperovora which can cause the tip of the leaves go pale first then changes to reddish brown color then it die , This condition is known by the name dieback which means infection starts from the tip of the leaves and it is the beginning slowly your shrub dies with the disease.
Also Cankers are also made in its stem. This all happens because of warm and wet conditions in the summer and spring season so keep watch on your plants.
Cercospora Twig Blight:
The Cercospora Twig Blight: is Other fungus named Cercospora sequoiae var. juniperi can infect the lower branches of this shrub and also the old stems , with time branches start to turn them brown and eventually the plant becomes devoid from inside.
Prevention & Solution:
You can use fungicides that are available in the market, but you should apply them before the plants(Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’) get these fungus infections.
To Tell you why it happens is that the plant may have faced drought conditions or maybe you did over watering that can cause root rotting.
If your shrub gets these diseases kindly immediately use fungicides to keep these plants from further damage.
One other way is to prune the dead leaves and branches so that the diseased part can be separated out.
Blue point juniper
Blue point juniper is one of the juniper variety same as wichita blue juniper having upright growth and pyramidal shape. They can also stand for hours in drought situations and can tolerate heat easily. And this variety is naturally in pyramid shape so there is no pruning required to make it in the shape it simply means maintenance is also not that big issue in this shrub plant.
Dwarf wichita blue juniper
Dwarf wichita blue juniper has 2 dwarf varieties of this shrub, one is Daniel’s Dwarf Juniper and the other one is Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper both belong to the same family tree which is Cupressaceae. Grown best in USDA zone 3 , they are evergreen shrubs reach to 18 feet high and 8 feet wide and are fruitless and have silver blue leaves which look excellent.
Wichita blue juniper home depot , Sale , sale Near me
People are so much interested in this tree are even flooding the searches to find sale and if they can get it from near me store, even home depot. Near me users who wants to buy this can go to online store to get this amazing shrub.It can be delivered at your home with no contact safe delivery. Here is the link to buy.
FAQ’s
How do you plant a Wichita blue juniper?
To Plant a Wichita blue juniper, first you need a good location where it gets proper direct sunlight as these trees need to grow strong so they require at least 5-7 hours sunlight. If you want it to grow perfectly then grow them in sandy soil ,and you do not need to care much about them. This should have good drainage as if you flood water in them it may cause them to rot its roots and eventually kill the plants.
How big does a blue point juniper get?
According to Missouri Botanical Garden Organization it would grow about a height of 10 to 15 feet tall and spreads 4 to 6 feet wide. It is a evergreen needled type shrub. One source added to reach about 8-12 feet high , it takes 10 years time, that is very long time.
How do you prune a Wichita blue juniper?
Prune is easy in wichita blue juniper , and it can be done before spring as spring is the season when new growth starts. first you should know the shape which you want it to be in, then cut it accordingly , remember don’t cut the main stem and also the healthy one, you can cut them don’t don’t over do. Pruning can be done as a way to remove the dead foliage and check the faded one and trim them with the ones that are affected by the diseased brachens. I have given the full procedure above of this article. Please read that to know everything about the Juniperus scopulorum prune.
How do you keep junipers small?
To keep them in limit or stop them from getting bigger , You need to prune them time to time as this is the correct way to keep juniper small, Make sure not to over cut them and give them a good shape , don’t worry about cutting many branches as that is the way to revive its fresh growth and make them disease free.
How far apart should I plant blue point junipers?
It should be planted 6 – 8 feet apart from each other as normal junipers tree can spread up to 4-6 feet wide. And if you are planting several blue point junipers then make sure to space them about 11-12 feet apart so that every tree can grow without disturbing any other tree.
Is Wichita blue juniper deer resistant?
Wichita blue juniper is among many variety including Moonglow Juniper ,Prince of Wales Juniper , Armstrong Juniper, Blue Star Juniper, Chinese Juniper,Creeping Juniper,Japanese Garden Juniper ,Mountain Juniper are some which can be rarely damaged and one variety Shore Juniper have frequently getting damaged by deer so it may or may not resistant to deers according to The State University of New Jersey.
Are junipers poisonous to dogs?
Yes According to Davis List of Junipers( from University of California) it shows that these shrub or tree are poisonous or toxic to pets like dogs and cats and also children but the toxicity is minor meaning it can cause indigestion that may lead to vomiting or may be diarrhea and if any more problem you feel please do call your nearby Poison control center for help.
How fast do blue junipers grow?
It has been seen that Blue Juniper can grow about 7-12 inches every year and can reach a height of 12 feet in 10-11 years and this one shines the whole year with its silver blue foliage and even tolerates full sun. These Shrub plants grow in a controlled manner so we can’t say it fast but they do grow in normal fashion.
Conclusion
These are great for the boundaries of garden even they look very green and fresh , prevent the dust and reduce the effect of heavy winds. they are worth to buy as this can be shaped according to your choice and they are easy to grow and care , very powerful shrubs.
Also SEE:
Jacob’s Ladder Plant – Full Guide Growing Caring(Polemonium caeruleum)
Japanese blood grass – How to Grow & Care (Imperata cylindrica) – Guide