Juniperus communis Sentinel

The Juniperus communis 'Sentinel' is a variety of common juniper of small size full of charm. This small conifer with very slow growth adopts an almost perfect spindle shape, with a beautiful bluish green colour. Very adaptable to the soil, enjoying the sun and tolerating partial shade, very hardy, it is an easy plant to succeed in the garden. Its architectural habit will be highlighted in isolated planting, in groups or in rows, but it can also fit well in a bed or rockery. It is also a very good choice for planting in a container on a terrace.

The Juniperus communis is an evergreen and spiny conifer belonging to the Cupressaceae family, which includes well-known related species such as cypresses, thuja, and chamaecyparis. It is native to northern Europe, North America, and Asia Minor. In its natural environment, it has a quite variable, conical or spreading habit, reaching a height of 6 m (19 ft 8 in) and a spread of 3 to 4.50 m (9 ft 10 in to 14 ft 10 in). This species appreciates poor, sandy and/or limestone soils and is not afraid of arid conditions.

The 'Sentinel' juniper, derived from this species, is an American selection made more than sixty years ago. It is still a current variety due to its great decorative qualities, combined with much smaller dimensions than the species. After 10 years, this juniper forms a small bush with a narrow columnar habit, slightly swollen in its center, measuring only about 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) in height and 30 to 50 cm (11.8 to 19.7 in) in spread. It therefore grows slowly to very slowly, making it an ideal subject for a rockery or a decorative container or pot.
The foliage consists of very small pointed leaves measuring 3 to 4 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in), but not very prickly. They are inserted on very dense branches with an upright tip. Its colour is a lovely glaucous green, more or less bluish. The inconspicuous flowering is followed in autumn by green fruits turning blue-black. Very hardy (down to -15°C (5 °F)), it is an easy plant to succeed and will find its place in most gardens.

The 'Sentinel' juniper is an elegant small conifer that will be adopted without reservation in the garden for its perfect habit and density. It will work wonders in isolation, on a slope, in a rockery, or planted in odd-numbered groups in a bed, along with shorter or taller dwarf conifers with rounded or bushy habits, to create attractive plays of volumes and colours throughout the year.
It will be perfectly complementary to the 'Golden Tuffet' Thuja, which forms a wide and low dense cushion with changing foliage in yellow, orange, or bronze. The golden yew (Taxus baccata Fastigiata Aurea), with a columnar habit but slightly flared in the upper part, and larger dimensions, can reinforce the vertical elements in a geometric contemporary garden. With its naturally almost perfect shape, which can be further enhanced by a slight touch-up with shears, it is an ideal candidate for a topiary scene, along with a 'Golden Gem' crenate holly with fine and evergreen foliage like that of a boxwood, and whose yellow colour will contrast with the foliage of our small juniper.
With its distinctive geometric habit, 'Sentinel' will work wonders in a decorative container, alone or in association with a trailing or low-growing plant, such as in a mild climate with a 'Golden Carpet' Escallonia with beautiful golden foliage.