Grey Owl Juniper Shrub

Buy Grey Owl Juniper Online

Teal-Colored Foliage and a Low, Spreading Form Perfect for Ground Cover

A reliable performer on the landscape, a beautiful open and loose form, and the ability to handle harsh conditions make our dwarf ‘Grey Owl’ Juniper shrubs are a popular selection. 

Juniper Grey Owl, like other junipers, is an evergreen shrub with lacey scale-like leaves instead of needles, similar to cedars. It is a variety of our native evergreen, Juniperus virginiana, or eastern red cedar.

Its unique blue-green or teal-colored foliage remains attractive year-round. 

This juniper remains short, only about waist or chest high, but spreads to as much as six feet wide. The low, spreading habit and open form make it great as a groundcover anywhere with full sun. 

It is long-lived and, with care in a good site, can remain on the landscape for over fifty years.

‘Grey Owl’ will produce small, faded-denim-colored berries in summer that last into winter or whenever the birds nab them. Its dense center and flowing foliage make it a favorite of low-nesting songbirds and small ground-dwelling wildlife. It's a wonderful wildlife attracting shrub!

Grey Owl Juniper Landscaping

Planting several of these junipers together in a border or patch along tough-to-care for slopes or dry problem areas can add that nicely landscaped look and stabilize the soil. Plant ‘Grey Owl’ at a tighter spacing and leave it unpruned to create a wild but effective mid-height privacy fence or border.

‘Grey Owl’ juniper’s uncommon foliage color makes a striking display in rock gardens or dry landscaping areas. It also works well in creating zen-inspired Asian garden vibes. Choose a nicely contrasting mulch to make the foliage pop.

Grey Owl Juniper Care 

Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’ is hardy to USDA zone 3 and warmer, up to about zone 9. Some ‘Grey Owl’ growers even report success in zone 2.

Plant ‘Grey Owl’junipers in full sun for best performance. They will survive in partial sun but will not grow to be as full and bushy. ‘Grey Owl’ wants to soak up the rays.

Tolerant to poor and rocky soils, ‘Grey Owl’ will grow in most dry to medium spots with good drainage. Wet soils with poor drainage are problematic. Water it well during the initial growing season, but once established, it will easily handle dry conditions.

‘Grey Owl’ juniper will grow in soil with a wide pH range, making it very adaptable to your site.

Grey Owl Juniper Size

‘Grey Owl’ juniper shrubs will reach 3-4 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide. They can be kept a little smaller with pruning. Mature shrubs commonly have a slight spacing below them, with foliage clearing the ground by about a foot, perfect for other kinds of ground cover to sprawl beneath them.

Grey Owl Juniper Pruning Needs

No pruning is generally necessary, however, ‘Grey Owl’ can be pruned once or twice yearly to maintain the desired shape. 

If desired, prune in late winter before the new growth flushes out, or in late summer after this year’s growth has started to harden off. Be aware that heavy late-summer pruning will reduce your Grey Owl Juniper berry crop that fall.

Shop the Grey Owl Juniper for sale today to add a wonderful native evergreen into your landscape!

Shop all our Juniper shrubs for sale.

Ask a question