Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Juniperus horizontalis 'Copper Harbor'
Copper Harbor Creeping Juniper
- Family
- Cupressaceae
- Height
- 6 to 8 inches
- Width
- 4 to 6 feet (spreads widely to form a mat)
- Flower color
- None
- Foliage color
- Bright golden-yellow in summer, turning coppery-bronze in winter
- Bloom time
- Seed cones develop in spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; requires little to no pruning
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Wildlife
- Offers ground-level shelter for small wildlife; coarse structure and cones can provide habitat or shelter for small birds or insects; resistant to deer and rabbits
About this plant
Juniperus horizontalis 'Copper Harbor' is a low, spreading evergreen groundcover with a mat-forming habit and layered horizontal branches. Its scale-like foliage is bright gold to chartreuse through the growing season, then shifts to coppery bronze or warm reddish tones in winter, offering year-round color and winter interest. The branches can root where they contact the ground, helping the plant spread to form dense mats.
As a native North American juniper, it retains traits of drought tolerance and deer resistance. Its combination of evergreen texture, seasonal foliage color change, and low, spreading form makes it ideal for rock gardens, banks, slopes, or foundation plantings where ground-hugging, low-maintenance cover is desired.
Works well in
Waterwise Gardens · Rock Gardens · Slopes & Banks · Deer Prone Areas
Companion plants
Yarrows · Caryopteris · Sea holly · Rock rose · Penstemon · Blue fescue
Design tip
Use ‘Copper Harbor’ where its spreading habit can create a broad carpet of year-round color. Bright golden-yellow summer foliage shifts to coppery bronze in winter, while branches root where they touch the ground, helping the plant develop into a dense, ground-hugging mat.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Vista Gardens.
