# Creeping Juniper (*juniperus horizontalis*) Creeping Juniper is a low-growing plant that spreads beautifully across the ground. Its tiny blue berries are a favorite snack for many birds! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Creeping Juniper thrives in sandy or rocky soils, often found in forests and coastal areas. - **Also known as:** Blue Juniper, Creeping Cedar, Ground Juniper, Trailing Juniper ![Creeping Juniper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/JuniperBerry.jpg&width=800) Photo: SriMesh, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JuniperBerry.jpg) ## Appearance The Creeping Juniper is a low-growing evergreen shrub, forming a dense, mat-like ground cover. It has needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically blue-green to green, often developing a purplish tint in cold winter months. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Pinopsida - **Order:** Pinales - **Family:** Cupressaceae - **Genus:** Juniperus ## Interesting facts - Ancient people burned juniper branches, believing the smoke purified the air. - Creeping Juniper can thrive in very cold places, even Arctic climates! - Its 'berries' are actually tiny, modified cones that take up to two years to ripen! - The cones of juniper plants are used to give gin its distinctive flavor. ## Special abilities - **Ground Hugger:** Creeping Juniper spreads wide with strong roots that cling to the ground, helping to prevent soil erosion. - **Drought Defender:** This plant has tough, waxy foliage that helps it store water and survive long dry spells without wilting. - **Winter Color Changer:** Some varieties can turn beautiful shades of purple or bronze in winter, adapting to colder temperatures. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-60 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Bloom Season:** Early Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats the plant's small cones - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on its evergreen foliage - **Parasitizes:** Juniper Scale (*Carulaspis juniperi*) — feeds on the plant's sap ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Creeping Juniper? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Creeping Juniper? 15-60 cm ### How wide does Creeping Juniper spread? 100-300 cm ### When does Creeping Juniper bloom? Early Spring ### Is Creeping Juniper edible? No ### Is Creeping Juniper toxic? Mild ### What is Creeping Juniper's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Creeping Juniper pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Colonel Elias Earle Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonel-elias-earle-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Hampton-Pinckney Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hampton-pinckney-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Pettigru Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pettigru-street-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Reedy River Falls Historic Park and Greenway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/reedy-river-falls-historic-park-and-greenway) — South Carolina, US · Park - [Spruce Woods Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/spruce-woods-provincial-park) — Manitoba, CA · State Park [View all places to see Creeping Juniper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/creeping-juniper) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Creeping Juniper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-juniper)