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Common juniper or ornamental juniper? How to tell them apart
Juniperus communis · Juniperus
How to tell them apart – common juniper: only prickly needles in threes; ornamental juniper: ornamental conifer with both prickly needles and scale leaves, often wide-spreading or creeping.
How do you recognise them?
- Common juniper
- Prickly little needles in whorls of three, with blue-black, bloomy ‘berries’.
- Compared with ornamental juniper: only prickly needles in threes.
- Ornamental juniper
- Ornamental conifer with both prickly needles and scale leaves; often wide-spreading or creeping.
| Common juniper | Ornamental juniper | |
|---|---|---|
| Needles | Needles 1–2 cm, very sharp, in whorls of 3, with a single broad white stripe on the upper side. | Young shoots with needles, older ones with scale-like leaves; often blue-grey with a resinous scent. |
| Flowering | – | – |
| Cones and seeds | Globular berry-like cones 5–9 mm, green at first, blue-black and bloomy after 2–3 years. | Small, blue, berry-like cones with a waxy bloom. |
| Bark | Red-brown, peeling in long strips. | Reddish-brown, peeling in strips. |
| Shape and height | Shrubby conifer, 1–10 m, often shrubby | Shrubby conifer, 0.5–5 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for birds | Little |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | May–June | May–June and August–September |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Common juniper is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Common juniper
- Plant profile: Ornamental juniper
- Common juniper: when and how to prune
- Ornamental juniper: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.