72 THE CULTIVATED EVERGREENS 



important decorative junipers in cultivation at the present 

 time. It is one of the best low conifers to plant close to the 

 walls of a house, and, if given room to develop, adds much 

 dignity to a home. The branches spread out almost horizontally 

 and in time form a large irregular bushy head six to eight feet 

 tall. The branchlets at the tips of the branches are pendulous 

 and the foliage is light olive-green. Var. columnaris is a form 

 introduced to cultivation by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, through the late F. N. Meyer. It forms a distinct 

 narrow pyramid and all the leaves are acicular. The foliage is 

 light bluish-green and is remarkably decorative. Var. Sargentii 

 is a low-spreading shrub which does not exceed one foot in 

 height and forms dense mats ten to twelve feet in diameter. 

 Amongst the low-spreading junipers, this is one of the most 

 important for covering banks and slopes, and is useful in rock- 

 gardening. It does remarkably well in poor sandy soil, by 

 cultivating and mulching for two to three years to get the 

 roots well established. Var. albo-variegata forms a low dense 

 pyramid with the tips of the branches silvery-white. The white 

 coloring is not sufl5ciently prominent to be disagreeable. 



The savin juniper, Junijperus Sabina, which is native 

 throughout many parts of the northern hemisphere, has a low 

 erect habit of growth, and will in time attain a height of six to 

 eight feet. The usually imbricated leaves are quite dark green. 

 Planted four to five feet apart, it forms an excellent border to 

 larger evergreens in the background. It is also valuable for 

 planting at the angles and corners of cement steps winding up 

 steep slopes. It is not fastidious about soil conditions and 

 does well in light, sandy, poor soils. Var. tamariscifolia, a 

 geographical form from southern Europe, has a spreading or 

 procumbent habit and appears to be quite different from the 

 type. It is an excellent prostrate juniper and has a most 



