Conservation Specialist
copyright 2010
Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl'
This long reigning queen of the juniper cultivars, beloved since before 1664 still has “class that lasts.” Whether she holds court in a pocket garden or is part of a formal display she impacts her environment in a regal manner
Bearing up through all of Missouri’s weather extremes, this juniper has earned a place of honor in the hall of fame in the horticulture world for years of well deserved popularity and lenght of service.
Once established, she is consistently able to bear up under Missouri’s many extremes including hot, cold, humidity and drought. She also tolerates poor gravelly soils; acid and clay soils. She grow moderately fast when young but slows with age.
She is amazing. Like a loving grandma who let’s a toddler grooming her silvery tresses, she tolerates the pruning mishaps of the landscape novice. Is she sad when her natural good looks are lost for the sake of lessons learned? Is this the best way to train the arborists of the future? I guess she knows there is always a learning curve.
The aftermath of this attention often results in a "do" that is over done, under done and yes sometimes ridiculous! All she really needs is an occasional gentle and affectionate grooming!
Care Factor Rating: 2 This upright spreading juniper ‘Gray Owl’ must be watered regularly till established. She does not require pruning when given adequate space but she might appreciate a gently hand and modest management done once a yearin early spring!
A more compact plant will result when long branches are pruned back to their junction at a lateral branch. Cuts should be made "back in" so that new growth will soon cover exposed stubs. Reminder: Always prune in stages! Step back frequently to check your progress.
Never prune so far into a juniper that you enter the dead zone (where there is no greenery present) Never remove more than 1/3 of the total growth on any plant. The occasional damaged or dead branch can be removed any time of the year.
Juniper ‘Gray Owl’’ does have one pet peeve, she can’t stand soggy soil. However she does tolerate wind and urban air pollutants. Like many evergreens, she can catch a case of bagworms and may have an occasional bout with cedar apple rust, but most importantly, she is resistant to Phomopsis twig blight.
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