Chinese Juniper (Juniperus Chinensis ‘Expansa Aureospicata’)

Features and Characteristics

Juniperus chinensis, commonly called Chinese juniper, is a dioecious evergreen conifer that is native to China, Japan, Mongolia and the Himalayas. It is often seen in the wild as a conical tree to 50’ tall and 20’ wide, but also appears in much shorter shrubby or spreading forms. Foliage is dark green. Brown bark on mature stems peels in strips. Although species plants are rarely sold in commerce, a large number of cultivated varieties ranging in size from large trees to large/small shrubs to low-growing groundcovers have become popular ornamental landscape plants. Chinese juniper leaves come in two types: scale-like (adult) and awl/needle-like (juvenile). Cones (pollen and seed-bearing) appear on different plants. Male plants produce catkin-like pollen cones. Female plants produce fleshy, berry-like, whitish-blue seed cones that usually acquire violet-brown tones as they mature over two years.

Genus name comes from the Latin name for the juniper.

Specific epithet means of China.

‘Expansa Aureospicata’ is a spreading ground cover form that features variegated yellow and green foliage. It typically matures over time to only 1-2′ tall but spreads by rigid horizontal branches held slightly above the ground to 4-7′ wide. Grayish sage-green foliage (primarily juvenile) is splashed (particularly on new growth) with yellow. Foliage is attractive throughout the year. ‘Expansa Aureospicata’ was formerly classified as a cultivar of Juniperus davurica.