Great Design Plant: Juniperus Conferta ‘Golden Pacific’

Landscape designers have a wide variety of plants in their arsenal. Certain plants, however, are go-to plants, special because they are adaptable and hardy, and bring special color, texture and form to the garden. ‘Golden Pacific’ shore juniper (Juniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’) tops my list because it always looks fresh, plays well texturally with other garden bed mates, makes a great front-of-the-border plant as well as a ground cover and performs well in full sun and partial shade. It will earn its place in your garden as well. Plant in spring or fall for year-round color in temperate climates.

Botanical name: Juniperus conferta ‘Golden Pacific’
Common names: ‘Golden Pacific’ shore juniper, ‘All Gold’ shore juniper
Origin: The species is native to coastal areas of Japan and Russia.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 23 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 6 to 9; find your zone)
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Water requirement: Average to dry soil; drought-tolerant once established
Mature size: 1 foot tall and 5 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Performs well in full sun to half a day of sun; resistant to deer and rabbits; drought-tolerant once established
Seasonal interest: Year-round chartreuse to light green color; new growth, in spring, is lighter and more vibrant
When to plant: Spring or fall is best


Distinguishing traits. ‘Golden Pacific’ is a variation of the popular ‘Blue Pacific’ shore juniper. Its color ranges from yellow in full sun to vibrant light green in partial shade. J. conferta has a softer texture and billowier appearance than many of the coarse-textured junipers that have given this family of conifers a negative reputation.


How to use it. ‘Golden Pacific’ shore juniper is so full of color and texture that it is best used to contrast other plants. In the previous photo, it is used alongside ‘Feelin’ Blue’ deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin’ Blue’, zones 7 to 9); its soft, upright to horizontal chartreuse foliage contrasts the cedar’s bluish semi-weeping foliage.

Here, ‘Golden Pacific’ nicely contrasts the upright variegated Japanese water iris (Iris ensata ‘Variegata’, zones 4 to 9). It could be used to similar effect in drier climates, paired with ‘Color Guard’ Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’, zones 4 to 10). In gardens with partial shade and average moisture, it works well with ferns, such as autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora, zones 6 to 9).

Shore junipers make a statement when planted en masse as a ground cover. When planted near boulders or low walls, they gently cascade downward, their color pulling the eye down to another garden level.

Planting notes. ‘Golden Pacific’ shore juniper performs reliably in average to drier soil but does not tolerate heavy clay soil. Clay should be amended with loam to aid in drainage, as junipers do not tolerate wet feet. Water consistently (1 inch of water per week) until the plant is well established.

More
These Aren’t Your Grandparents’ Junipers
See more ways to bring foliage to the garden

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