Juniperus squamata Blue Spider

The Juniperus squamata 'Blue Spider' is a Scaly Juniper with a compact, spreading habit, adorned with steel blue foliage, decorative all year round. The shoots emitted from the center of the plant are very flexible and eventually crawl on the ground like a bluish spider, which certainly inspired its name. Slow-growing, this small conifer makes a good ground cover or a lovely sunny rockery plant. Tolerant to exposure, it is highly resistant to cold and can also be planted in containers to decorate a terrace. It only fears excessively dry soils.

The Scaly Juniper, also known as Nepalese Juniper, owes its name to its old needles that it keeps at the base of the branches. It is an evergreen species native to the Himalayan mountains and China, where it grows at altitudes between 1600 and 4900 m (5249 ft 4 in and 16076 ft 1 in). It is a mountain conifer with great hardiness (down to -30°C (-22 °F)) and low demands, although it dreads excessively hot and dry climates. Like all junipers, it belongs to the Cupressaceae family, along with Thuja, Chamaecyparis, and of course Cypress (Cupressus).

The 'Blue Spider' Juniper reaches a height of 50 cm (19.7 in) and a width of 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) at the age of 10, and up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide at maturity. It has a characteristic habit, with a prostrate central vegetative mass and very flexible shoots that sprout in all directions towards the periphery. They eventually fall to the ground, allowing the shrub to gradually spread. This small conifer has a very attractive steel blue colour, particularly decorative all year round. It prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade. It is tolerant to soil type (neutral, limestone, or slightly acidic) and thrives in moderately moist, well-drained soil. While it can withstand occasional dry soil in cool climates, this conifer will be disappointing in Mediterranean climates, which are too dry and hot in summer.

This 'Blue Spider' juniper will naturally find its place in a rockery alongside other low-growing plants, colourful conifers, or compact shrubs. A golden yew 'Summergold' will create a strong colour contrast with it, as well as a Cryptomeria japonica 'Vilmorin Gold' in non-limestone soil. It can also cover small slopes and will be well-suited as a border plant for a dry stone wall, where it can crawl and hang in fringes. In a flower bed, it can be planted in the foreground, in front of a purple laurustinus, creating an original and decorative scene all year round, thanks to the purple young shoots and white flowers of the shrub. A 'Amber Jubilee' Physocarpus with changing colours and decorative wood in winter will also be a highly recommended companion.