SCIENTIFIC NAME: Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl'

COMMON NAME: Grey Owl Juniper, Eastern Red Cedar

GARDEN SIZE: 3 feet tall x 6 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 4-9

EXPOSURE: Full Sun

WATER & SOIL: Well-drained soil; Average water requirements

HABIT (FORM): Spreading, densely-branched

FOLIAGE: Evergreen; Light blueish-grey scale-like needles

FRUIT: Abundant cones in winter

PLANT ORIGIN: Native to the eastern north American continent, from Canada to Florida and from Colorado to the Atlantic.

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: Attracts Songbirds; Deer resistant. For butterflies and moths, it supports the Olive Hairstreak, the Imperial Moth, the Whitemarked Tussock moth, Periploca laeta, and Periploca mimula, among many others. For some, this is the only observed native host in our area.

FERTILIZING: Feed in spring and fall with acidic organic fertilizer

PRUNING: Minimal shearing required. Hand pruning in late winter or early summer is preferred.

PET SAFETY: Generally considered mildly toxic to dogs, cats, horses, and humans.

USES: Hedge, Groundcover