{"product_id":"grey-owl-juniper","title":"Grey Owl Juniper","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eJuniperus virginiana\u003c\/em\u003e 'Grey Owl'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bank and slope plantings, low foundation lines, mass plantings on dry ground, wide borders along drives and walks, erosion control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e Soft silver-gray foliage that holds its color through the entire year, a low wide-spreading frame that covers ground two to three times its own height, and genuine tolerance for drought, salt, poor soil, and deer pressure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coniferous Shrub\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spreading, Broad-spreading — low horizontal branching from a wide base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gray-Green, Silver\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–3 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5–6 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost junipers are green. This one is silver, and it stays silver in February.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Grey Owl' carries fine, feathery, soft-textured foliage in a pale silver-gray that does not bronze or brown in winter the way many spreading junipers do. Against dark mulch, brick, or a stone wall it reads almost blue in low light. It is the color that sells the plant, and unlike most colored conifers, the color is consistent from the day it goes in the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe habit is wide and low — roughly two to three feet tall spreading to five or six feet across, layered in soft horizontal tiers rather than mounding into a dome. That proportion makes it one of the better plants for the awkward strip between a walkway and a wall, or the front of a bed where a standard shrub would be too tall and a perennial too fussy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnderneath the ornamental value it is a working plant. It descends from Eastern red cedar, and it inherited that species' indifference to hard sites: dry, rocky, sandy, alkaline, windswept, road-salted. Once rooted it needs essentially nothing, holds a slope against washing, and deer walk past it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGive it full sun and room to run. It is not a plant to crowd — sheared back repeatedly into a space too small for it, the soft layered structure is the first thing lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrey Owl Juniper Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun. Six hours minimum, and more is better — this is the single factor that determines foliage density and color. In partial shade the plant opens up, loses the silver tone, and becomes prone to needle blight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil requirements are minimal, with one absolute: it must drain. Sandy, gravelly, rocky, and alkaline ground are all fine, and it tolerates clay provided water moves through it. Wet feet will kill this plant faster than anything else. On heavy sites, plant on a slight rise rather than amending a hole.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater through the first growing season while roots establish. After that it is genuinely drought-tolerant and supplemental water is needed only in prolonged dry spells. Overwatering an established juniper causes more problems than neglect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeeding is generally unnecessary. On very poor ground a single spring application of a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e is sufficient for the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePruning should be light. Junipers do not reliably regenerate from bare old wood, so cuts must stay within the green growth — never shear back into the brown interior. Remove any damaged branches in early spring and thin lightly to maintain the layered structure. The best approach is to give it the space it needs at planting and leave it alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Grey Owl Juniper for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Grey Owl Juniper ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Grey Owl Juniper Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExpect roughly 2 to 3 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide at maturity. The spread is the number that matters when placing it — plan for the full width rather than the size of the plant on delivery. Space 4 to 5 feet on center for a solid cover, or 6 feet apart to keep individual plants distinct.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is sold as Grey Owl Juniper or Gray Owl Juniper — both spellings are in common use. You may also see it listed under Eastern red cedar, the species it derives from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo deer bother it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRarely. Junipers are among the most reliably deer-resistant woody plants available, and the coarse aromatic foliage is unappealing enough that browsing is uncommon even under heavy pressure. No plant is entirely immune in a hard winter, but this is about as close as a landscape shrub gets. Other plants that hold up to the same pressure are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/deer-resistant-shrubs-evergreens\"\u003eDeer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it hold a slope?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes, and it is one of the standard choices for the job. The wide low branching intercepts rainfall before it reaches bare soil, and the root system binds loose ground well. On a bank, plant in staggered rows and expect three to four seasons for the plants to knit together. More low spreading options are grouped in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/groundcovers\"\u003eGroundcovers\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the silver color fade in winter?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo. This is one of the main reasons the cultivar is grown. Many spreading junipers take on a purple or bronze cast in cold weather; 'Grey Owl' holds its gray-silver tone year-round, which makes it useful in beds that are viewed through the winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan it be kept smaller than its mature size?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOnly within limits. Light annual trimming inside the green growth will hold it a little tighter, but it cannot be cut back hard — junipers do not resprout from bare wood, and a heavy cut leaves a permanent brown gap. If the space is under four feet wide, a different plant is the better answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"3 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47527169097890,"sku":"PN-GOJUN-3-1yr","price":79.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/Image_Coming_Soon.png?v=1786804456","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/grey-owl-juniper","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}