A delightful, compact conifer with striking blue foliage, Blue Star Juniper is a great groundcover or front-of-the-border addition that contrasts and complements many other ornamental garden plants. Especially effective when paired with green or purple foliage. Slow-growing but sturdy and nearly carefree, this shrub juniper has a spreading habit, developing into icy blue mounds slightly wider than tall.

I purchased 3, 1-gallon specimens to spruce up a very monotone green area on the north side of our yard. I’m pleased with the look so far – they’re perfectly situated next to boulders and a retaining wall and look great against the groundcover strawberries and towering lilies dotting the area. If these sun-lovers find the amount of light in that garden agreeable, they should flourish in the well-draining, sandy soil.