Overview & Description

The Hughes Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Hughes’) is an excellent groundcover shrub known for its striking silver-blue foliage that adds year-round colour and texture to landscapes. Its soft, silvery-blue, scale-like needles maintain their cool hue throughout the seasons, often developing a subtle purple-bronze tint in winter. This low-growing, trailing evergreen has a dense, spreading habit that forms a thick mat of feathery branches.

Growth & Size

This variety exhibits a low-growing, spreading to prostrate growth habit with excellent ground-covering ability. It is a slow-growing shrub, typically reaching a mature size of about 6 to 12 inches in height with a spread of 4 to 6 feet. It can spread up to 10 feet over time, making it ideal for covering large areas, slopes, or rocky terrain.

Additional Notes

It does not have showy flowers. Hardy to Zone 3, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating a wide range of soil types including poor, dry, and rocky conditions. Once established, it is drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, and resistant to deer and rabbits. An outstanding choice for mass plantings, erosion control on banks and slopes, rock gardens, or as a filler in pathways where practical groundcover, reliable performance, and year-round color are desired.