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Pencil Point Juniper – 6 Caring tips & Propagation Guide

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The Pencil Point Juniper is a small shrub that is beautiful and easy to care for at the same time. Natively found towards the northern hemisphere, these plants boast evergreen leaves that beautify any setting they’re planted in.

The needle-like foliage of this shrub boasts a beautiful mix of colors, including shades of silver-grey, silverish- blue as well as a hint of blueish green.

Pencil Point Juniper
Pencil Point Juniper – via Pinterest

The main characteristics of the Pencil Point Juniper plant

Growth & Size

These plants have an annual growth rate of around 5 centimeters. When these plants mature, they reach a maximum height of about 3 to 5 feet. These trees will reach a maximum spread of about 0.3 meters when they mature, thereby making them really easy to install in home gardens.

Uses

Here is a shortlist of some of the most popular uses of the pencil joint juniper:

  1. They serve as eye-catching additions to home gardens.
  2. They are used as accent plants.
  3. Their fruit is a crucial ingredient in the production of gin. It is what gives the gin its distinctive flavor.

Fruits

The pencil joint juniper does grow fruits. These are tiny cones of black color known as juniper berry. While these berries are not edible, they serve their purpose as raw materials in the production of gin.

Pencil Point Juniper 2
Pencil Point Juniper – via Amazon.ca

How to take care of a Pencil Point Juniper

Watering

Watering is a crucial aspect of any plant’s care. The Pencil Joint Juniper is no exception to this rule. However, the correct amount of watering will depend on how well your Pencil Joint Juniper is established. A newly planted juniper will require less watering than a properly established juniper.

Water your plant every time you feel that your soil has begun to dry out. To check this, use your fingers and test the uppermost layer of the soil you have planted your Pencil Joint Juniper in.

If you detect moisture, it will be alright to hold off on watering your plant. If you don’t, it is best if you water it immediately.

On exceptionally hot days, though, lightly spraying the plant with water every other day will help keep its soil moist.

Soil

The Pencil Joint Juniper adapt pretty well to a range of soil types. However, if you want to optimize your plant’s growth, it is absolutely crucial that you put this plant into soil that drains really well. This is because the Pencil Joint Juniper simply cannot withstand waterlogged soil.

If kept in waterlogged soil for prolonged time periods, your plant’s roots risk rotting away. Other than this, though, the plant is able to manage a multitude of soil types pretty easily. Some examples include sandy soils, chalky soils, and rocky soils.

If you want to improve your soil’s drainage properties, mix it with a bit, of course, and your soil mix will see an instant improvement in its aeration and drainage.

As for the pH level, this plant will adapt just fine to most soil types and pH levels. Of course, it will be an issue of the pH level is on the far end of either side of the scale, but other than that, it is not something you need to worry about.

Temperature

The Pencil Joint Juniper, unlike other members of its genus, has a remarkable tolerance to cold temperatures. When it comes to heat and humidity, these plants are pretty tough and hardy; they will be able to survive within a really wide range of temperature and humidity levels.

Lighting

Meeting the lighting requirements for the Pencil Joint Juniper plant is pretty simple. All you have to do is provide this plant with proper exposure to the full sun, and you’re good to go. Ideally, your plant should receive about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every single day.

Pruning

While the Pencil Joint Juniper is considered to be an exceptionally low- maintenance tree, it will, just like most other plants, require occasional pruning to keep its branches tamed. Just make sure you don’t prune this plant too often, or its branches will experience stunted growth.

Also, you should know that pruning becomes absolutely necessary for your plant if you notice any pests or diseases infesting the plant. Dead stems or leaves must be immediately removed from the plant’s branches, so your plant experiences healthy growth.

Fertilizers

Although these plants typically will not require the support of any fertilizers to keep them in shape, making use of fertilizers to boost your plant’s growth is nothing to shy away from.

Since this plant is able to sustain itself pretty well, all-purpose fertilizer will usually be enough to meet your plant’s nutritional needs.

The Pencil Point Juniper – a guide to its propagation

Now that we’ve discussed how one should take care of this plant in their home gardens, it is time to discuss the correct way to propagate a Pencil Joint Juniper in your home.

The Pencil Joint Juniper is propagated using the semi-hardwood cuttings method of propagation. A fair warning, though, this method does require patience before it finally gives you any meaningful results.

  1. Start by taking semi-hardwood cuttings of a mother Pencil Joint Juniper plant.
  2. These cuttings are best taken between the months of July through November.
  3. Your stem cutting should be about 8 inches in length. For best results, make sure it is a healthy branch with a bunch of needles growing at its tip.
  4. Fill your container with a suitable soil mix and punch a small hole towards the bottom of the container for drainage.
  5. Pluck out the needles from the lower branches and make inch-long slits through the outermost layer on each side of the stem with a sharp but sanitized knife. This is to facilitate water and hormone absorption for root growth.
  6. Now, put 1 teaspoon of rooting hormone in a dish and dip the slit end of the cutting into the dish. Coat your stem thoroughly and shake off all excess liquid.
  7. Now, cover your pot with a plastic film to maintain humidity.
  8. Put your plant in the nurturing conditions we’ve outlined above. Your Pencil Joint Juniper should show signs of growth after a couple of weeks.

Summary

Overall, the pencil joint juniper is an evergreen shrub with colorful foliage that gives the plant its beautifying qualities. These shrubs are pretty easy to take care of since the plant can survive in a vast range of environmental conditions.

The propagation of a pencil joint juniper is pretty difficult and time-consuming. It is, nevertheless, still possible with the use of the semi-hardwood cutting method outlined in the section above.

matthew wells

Wednesday 27th of December 2023

where can i buy this in south carolina

Hoang Quang

Wednesday 3rd of January 2024

@matthew wells,

Pencil Point Juniper (Juniperus communis 'Compressa') can be bought from several retailers online.

- The Tree Center offers a variety, but currently, they're out of stock.

- Wilson Bros Gardens sells them too, focusing on high-quality plants and safe shipping.

- Conifer Kingdom provides these junipers in various sizes, priced between $18.99 and $49.99.

- Sooner Plant Farm lists them as well, highlighting their care and shipping processes.

- Hammarlund Nursery sells them at $57.99 but doesn't offer shipping.

For local purchases in South Carolina, check with garden centers and nurseries near you. Monrovia's website can help locate retailers, but it's best to contact them directly to confirm availability​.