Popular for its dense, blue-green foliage, the Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ is a favorite landscape specimen. It’s used either as a focal point or as a windbreak in a garden. Blue point juniper trees grow an average height of 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide in an upright habit.
The whole shape of the blue point juniper is pyramidal. If left untrimmed, its wayward branches and dense foliage will form a rugged appearance. Hence, most gardeners prefer to trim and form their blue point junipers into conical shapes.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
‘Blue Point’ is an evergreen conifer with a pyramidal to columnar growth habit. It’s known for maintaining its shape naturally, with minimal pruning required.
This cultivar typically grows to about 10-12 feet in height (3 to 3.6 meters) and 6-8 feet in spread (1.8 to 2.4 meters), making it suitable for medium-sized garden spaces.
Forest and Kim Starr
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Junipers are dioecious with separate male and female plants. Male plants produce small pollen cones, while pollinated female plants produce small, blue-black berry-like cones, adding winter interest.
The foliage of ‘Blue Point’ is needle-like with a striking blue-green color, which remains vibrant throughout the year.
The bark is grayish-brown, becoming more furrowed and textured with age.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Blue point junipers love exposure to the full sun. So, an ideal location is a place where there’s access to direct sunlight. Partial shade is also good, but juniper trees will develop dense and vibrant foliage when the light is bright.
If you want to enjoy the blue-green foliage, plant outdoors under the sun.
Temperature & Humidity
Mokkie
CC BY-SA 3.0
Since blue point juniper thrives in areas under USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9, it can tolerate temperatures as low as -30°F (-34°C). They can also take extreme heat and will do well even when there’s a drought for an extended period. It’s adaptable to extreme weather conditions. Thanks to its hardy and versatile nature.
Watering
Watering your blue point juniper is crucial after the planting. Ensure deep watering during the first month or two, so the plant will develop an extensive root system. To conserve moisture, put mulch around the plant that’s about 1 to 2 inches thick.
Once established, your blue point juniper plant is drought tolerant. You’d need to do supplemental irrigation during hot and dry spells. But generally, they’ll be fine without regular watering.
When soil moisture is consistently high, root rot becomes a problem in juniper trees, especially with poor drainage soil.
Soil
Plant your blue point juniper in well-drained soil. The soil must have enough air pockets to hold oxygen so the roots will be able to breathe. Otherwise, your blue point juniper will be in danger of suffering from root rot.
Generally, a sandy type of soil with an acid-to-alkaline pH is most suitable.
Fertilizing
When planting, amend the soil with organic matter such as organic compost and bone meal. Mix them well in the soil before putting the blue point juniper plant in the planting hole. Then, water the plant indoors thoroughly.
Every year, feed your growing juniper tree with a slow-release fertilizer in early spring to give it an extra boost. You’ll notice some new growths will appear after the fertilizer takes effect.
Pruning
Mokkie
CC BY-SA 3.0
Blue Point Juniper Tree is not necessary, if left to grow naturally it may reach heights of up to 12 feet, if desire the Blue Point can be planted as a hedge along fence lines, it can be hedge at a desired height of your choice and will help make the tree more dense creating complete privacy. Avoid pruning during the hottest and coldest months to avoid strain on the tree.
Propagation
Use semi-hardwood cuttings for propagating a blue point juniper.
- Cut a healthy-looking stem at least 8 to 12 inches in length.
- Remove the leaves on the lower part of the cut portion and create a slit on both sides.
- Dip the cutting in a rooting hormone.
- Insert the treated cutting into a soilless potting mix. Firm the soil around the cuttings to keep it upright. You may add a stake for support.
- Cover the cutting with plastic to create a dome. This method helps retain high humidity around the cutting and therefore prevents it from drying out.
- Mist the soil daily.
- Wait until the cutting develops its own roots. It will take about four weeks or so.
- Once the cutting is vigorous enough, transplant it to a bigger container.
Mulching
We strongly advise mulching your Blue Point Juniper with either ground hardwood mulch or ground cypress mulch. Any type of mulch will suffice, but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of higher quality and will provide more nutrition overall as it decomposes. Mulching helps to keep weeds at bay, which compete for water and nutrients with your new investment, as well as to regulate soil temperature. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient. It is preferable to leave at least one inch of space between the mulch and the plant’s main stem or trunk.
Pests and Diseases
Although blue point juniper is rarely infested, they may experience attacks from spider mites, bagworms, mites, and scales. They’re usually treatable with horticultural oils, but if most of your trees suffer, you may need to resort to using pesticides.
Diseases such as root rot, twig blight, and cedar-apple rust may infect your blue point junipers. You can avoid root rotting by improving the soil drainage and watering less frequently. Twig blight is a disease caused by the fungi Phomopsis and Kabatina, and they can be severely damaging.
You must quickly remove the infected twigs so they won’t spread in the nearby parts of the tree. You can use a fungicide if the fungi involved are the Phomopsis.
Cedar-apple rust is another fungi-related disease that may possibly infect juniper trees. It leaves round, woody galls on twigs and small branches during fall. One Spring sets turn into orange, gummy, tentacle-like projections.
You need to prune the branches that have developed galls in order to prevent the spread of infection.
III. Uses and Benefits
Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ is ideal for use as a specimen plant, in hedges, privacy screens, or as a foundation plant. Its formal appearance makes it suitable for both traditional and contemporary landscapes.
