Wildflower
Rocky Mountain Juniper 'Wichita Blue' is a striking pyramidal evergreen native to the high elevations of the Rocky Mountains, from Alberta south to Texas and Arizona. This hardy shrub grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide, making it substantial enough to anchor a landscape without overwhelming smaller gardens. Its shedding red-brown bark and silvery-blue foliage create year-round visual interest in zones 3 through 7, while its exceptional tolerance for drought, poor soil, and urban conditions makes it a reliable choice for challenging sites where other plants struggle.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-7
180in H x 72in W
Perennial
Low
Hover over chart points for details
This juniper thrives where most ornamentals fail, handling drought, shallow rocky soil, and dry conditions with ease while asking almost nothing in return. The combination of dense pyramidal form, striking bark color, and ability to adapt to sandy or poorly drained sites without fussing makes it exceptionally valuable for western and mountain gardens. Its low maintenance needs and deer resistance mean you can plant it and let it do its job for decades.
Rocky Mountain Juniper serves as a landscape specimen and structural plant, valued for erosion control on slopes, windbreaks in exposed sites, and focal points in xeriscaped gardens. Its dense form and year-round presence make it useful in urban landscapes where it tolerates air pollution and challenging growing conditions that would stress more delicate ornamentals.
No care instructions available yet for this variety.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Rocky Mountain Juniper is native to the high foothills and mountainous regions of western North America, typically found above 5,000 feet elevation in dry, rocky terrain from Alberta to Texas. The 'Wichita Blue' cultivar represents a selected form chosen for its striking blue-gray foliage and reliable pyramidal habit, bringing the toughness of wild Rocky Mountain junipers into garden cultivation.”