Blue Prince Juniper is a low-spreading evergreen groundcover with soft blue-green foliage — ideal for slopes, mass plantings, and foundation edges across Apple Valley, Lakeville, and Eagan. About Blue Prince Juniper Botanical Name Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Prince' Mature Size 1-2ft tall × 4-6ft wide Bloom / Foliage Evergreen blue juniper; no flowers Sun Requirements Full sun (6+ hrs). Water Needs Low. Highly drought-tolerant. Soil Tolerates Minnesota clay-loam, sandy soils. Excellent drainage required. Hardiness Zones 3-9 (Twin Cities is zone 4b–5a). Reliable to -40°F. Deer Resistance Rarely browsed — one of the most deer-resistant evergreens Foliage Evergreen — needle/scale foliage Growth Rate Moderate — 12-18 inches per year Why You'll Love Blue Prince Juniper Deer-resistant evergreenJunipers handle the worst Minnesota conditions — sun, dry soils, deer, road salt. Privacy + foundationUpright forms for screens; spreading forms for foundations and slopes. Winter interestYear-round color and structure against snow. Low spreading blue-green groundcover juniper Soft texture with reliable blue-green winter color. That's why Blue Prince Juniper has earned a spot in our Minnesota launch catalog — it's a juniper we're confident will thrive in your Twin Cities landscape. Planting Blue Prince Juniper in the Twin Cities Best planting window: Spring (mid-April through early June) or early fall (late August through late September). Avoid planting during peak summer heat — Twin Cities heat waves can stress newly installed root balls. Site selection: Full sun (6+ hrs). Choose a location with the mature size of 1-2ft tall × 4-6ft wide in mind — give Blue Prince Juniper room to fill out without crowding fences, sidewalks, or neighboring plants. Soil prep: Tolerates Minnesota clay-loam, sandy soils. Excellent drainage required. If your Twin Cities yard has heavy clay (common in Plymouth, Eden Prairie, and Wayzata), amend the planting hole with 25-30% compost to improve drainage. For sandy soils in parts of Anoka and Washington counties, mix in compost to improve water retention. How to plant: Dig a hole 2× the width of the root ball and the same depth. Loosen the sides of the hole — slick clay walls block root expansion. Set Blue Prince Juniper so the top of the root ball is 1-2" above grade. Backfill with native soil mixed 25% with compost. Tamp gently. Water deeply (5+ gallons) immediately after planting. Mulch 2-3" deep, keeping mulch 2" away from the stem. Watering & Care First year (establishment): Water deeply 1-2× per week from April through October. Blue Prince Juniper needs consistent moisture to develop a strong root system for its first Minnesota winter. Check soil moisture 4-6" deep — water when the top 2-3" feels dry. Established (year 2+): Low. Highly drought-tolerant. During typical Twin Cities summers, supplemental water during 2+ week dry spells is enough. Winter prep: Water deeply in late October before ground freeze — this protects Blue Prince Juniper through dry winter winds. Apply a fresh 2-3" layer of mulch in November to insulate the root zone through deep freezes. Pruning: Prune lightly in late spring or early summer. Avoid cutting into bare wood. Frequently Asked Questions Is Blue Prince Juniper hardy in Minnesota? Yes. Blue Prince Juniper is rated for zones 3-9 (Twin Cities is zone 4b–5a) — the Twin Cities metro is zone 4b–5a, well within its hardiness range. Soft texture with reliable blue-green winter color. How fast does Blue Prince Juniper grow? Moderate — 12-18 inches per year. Expect mature size (1-2ft tall × 4-6ft wide) within 5-8 years depending on site conditions and care. Will deer eat Blue Prince Juniper? Rarely browsed — one of the most deer-resistant evergreens. In high-deer-pressure suburbs (Wayzata, Stillwater, Hudson), supplemental fencing or repellents may help young plants establish. Can I plant Blue Prince Juniper in part shade? Full sun (6+ hrs). What size gallon should I buy? We typically offer Blue Prince Juniper in #2, #5, #10, and sometimes larger gallon sizes. Smaller sizes establish faster and cost less; larger sizes give instant impact. For most Twin Cities residential landscapes, #5 or #10 gallon is the sweet spot. Where We Deliver Three Timbers Minnesota delivers and installs Blue Prince Juniper across the Twin Cities metro — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Edina, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Bloomington, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, Eagan, Roseville, Shoreview, Stillwater, Woodbury, Hudson, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Chanhassen, Excelsior, Victoria, Chaska, and surrounding communities. Live Blue Prince Juniper grown for our climate and delivered fresh from our Waconia, MN nursery. How Many Blue Prince Juniper Do I Need? For slopes and mass plantings, space Blue Prince Juniper 4 feet on center — each plant matures 4–6 feet wide, so a 4-foot grid knits into a solid blue-green carpet in a few seasons (figure roughly 1 plant per 12–16 square feet). Bed or slope run Plants needed (4 ft spacing) 10 feet 3 20 feet 5–6 30 feet 8–9 40 feet 10–12 Blue Prince Juniper Season-by-Season in Minnesota Spring: Soft new blue-green growth extends the carpet 12–18 inches a year, brightening the mat as it knits across slopes and bed edges. Summer: The low, dense blue mat shrugs off heat and drought, smothering most weeds beneath it once established. Fall: Foliage holds its blue-green color steady as perennials fade, keeping beds and slopes looking finished into November. Winter: Reliable blue-green winter color against snow — one of the toughest evergreen groundcovers for boulevard and roadside conditions, hardy to −40°F. At a Glance ✔ Deer-Resistant ✔ Salt-Tolerant ✔ Drought-Tolerant ✔ Evergreen ✔ Four-Season Interest Plant It With Broadmoor Juniper — another tough low spreader; mixing the two greens varies the texture of a large slope planting. Wilton Blue Rug Juniper — an even flatter silver-blue carpet for the front edge below Blue Prince. Blue Star Juniper — a compact steel-blue mound that punctuates a spreading juniper mat with height. Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass — vertical wands rising from the low blue carpet for instant designer contrast. Is Blue Prince Juniper Right for Your Yard? Choose Blue Prince for full-sun slopes, foundation edges, and boulevard strips with decent drainage — it thrives on dry, sandy, or salted sites where fussier plants fail, and deer leave it alone. It's not a fit for shade or soggy ground: junipers need 6+ hours of sun and excellent drainage, and wet feet will kill it faster than any Minnesota winter.
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