shrub
Creeping juniper 'Blue Rug'
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 3–9, Creeping juniper 'Blue Rug' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. Expect 3–6 in of height and 6–8 ft of spread; our lists space it 5 ft apart. It does best in full sun with little water once established. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. It is native to the Northeast, the Midwest, the Great Plains and the Mountain West. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 3 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained; tolerates poor, sandy or rocky soil.
- Mature size
- 3–6 in tall × 6–8 ft wide
- Spacing
- 5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Edge
- Styles
- low water, modern, natural
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. No ASPCA entry found; juniper oils can upset stomachs. Marked toxic until reviewed.
- Native to
- Northeast, Midwest, Great Plains and Mountain West
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$22 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks, then every 10-14 days in dry spells through the first summer; after that only in long droughts.
- Pruning
- Trim stems that reach past the bed edge; never cut back into bare wood.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
Our list engine hasn't picked Creeping juniper 'Blue Rug' as a main plant in any sample bed yet: in every condition we tried, another plant won its slot. It can still appear in your own list when it fits your yard best.
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Creeping juniper 'Blue Rug' suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants