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Compact, dwarf and densely spreading 🌿
Family: Cupressaceae · Pot diameter: 13cm · Height: approx. 20cm
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ creates a dense blue-green relief that seems to flow across soil, stone and low edges. Short overlapping shoots form lively layers, while upturned tips bring light, shadow and three-dimensional movement to the surface. The combination of soft texture and visible woody lines gives it the character of a miniature natural landscape, filled with depth and quiet strength.
In a rock garden or along a low wall, its creeping lines seem to continue the shape of the stone. Beside upright conifers, understated containers or fine gravel, it creates beautiful contrast and makes the composition feel connected and complete. Its expressive branching also explains why it remains a classic choice for bonsai with a strong, natural personality.
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its dependable, low and densely textured garden form.
Layered fans, lifted shoot tips and visible woody lines give this dwarf conifer far more depth than a flat groundcover.
Overlapping branches lift their tips and create real three-dimensional relief rather than a flat carpet.
Evergreen foliage holds colour and structure when surrounding perennials have receded.
Dense branching and a creeping trunk can be developed patiently into an expressive miniature framework.
Why you will love it: it combines ground-hugging coverage with the layered movement and visible woody character of a much older landscape plant.
Plant it in full sun over stone, on a slope or along a raised edge, always in sharply drained soil and with space for the branches to spread. For continuous cover, allow about 1–1.5m between plants.
Low flowering mats and fine upright blades reveal the juniper’s overlapping architecture without growing through it.
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ performs best in full sun; this exposure also keeps its layered creeping habit clearly defined.
Water Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ thoroughly while it establishes, then allow a moderate drying interval between waterings; keep the woody centre out of standing water.
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ is a hardy evergreen conifer. Its low branches tolerate cold well when the crown is not trapped in winter moisture.
Ornamental only: the prickly foliage and sap may irritate sensitive skin, so wear gloves when training or pruning this dense mat.
Plant in full sun, with free air movement, sharp drainage and room for the creeping tiers to travel visibly across the surface.
For Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, use open, gritty soil with sharp drainage throughout the root zone. The root zone must not remain waterlogged after heavy rain.
In its first growing season, soak the planted area whenever the top few centimetres begin to dry, making sure water reaches beneath the full young spread.
Water deeply beneath the full spread, then wait until the upper soil has begun to dry before watering again.
A broad, stable outdoor container lets the creeping tiers reach and pass over the rim. Use a gritty mix and keep the crown slightly above it so winter moisture cannot collect around the centre.
If growth is weak, apply a light balanced feed in spring; heavy feeding encourages soft, open shoots and blurs the dense tiered habit.
Cut a misplaced branch back to a well-positioned side shoot, keeping the naturally lifted tips intact.
Lift trapped leaves from the woody centre after winter and remove only dead or damaged growth.
The roots establish first, anchoring the young plant before substantial lateral extension becomes visible.
Side shoots lengthen, cross one another and lift their tips above the first layer.
A broad 20–30cm-high mat develops, with visible woody lines beneath repeated blue-green fans.
A layered creeping mat forms as low branches overlap and younger sprays lift at their ends, creating clear tiers across the surface.
Cool weather can deepen the blue-green tone or add a light bronze cast. Branch overlap and shoot length become more pronounced as the plant settles.
What to expect after planting: Visible spread may pause while new roots anchor the young plant. Later, crossing side shoots build new layers and turn their tips upwards.
Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ is an old dwarf selection from Japan. The name of its first Japanese selector, its parent plant and the way it arose have not survived in the cultivar’s history. Its passage into Western nursery culture is associated with Arthur Hill of D. Hill Nursery in Dundee, Illinois.
The next chapter has no single certain date: some accounts place the introduction in 1904, while others date it to about 1922. Whichever date is the more accurate, ‘Nana’ became established in Western cultivation as the low Japanese form with a dense framework and characteristically upturned shoot tips. The date of its first propagation has not been preserved.
The ends of lateral shoots turn upwards, creating the cultivar’s characteristic three-dimensional relief.
With age the central woody framework is increasingly exposed while young blue-green tips continue to cover the surface.
Useful answers for keeping ‘Nana’ dense, tiered and healthy from planting onwards.
Set it in full sun on a slope, in a rock garden or beside a raised edge, with gritty soil and sharp drainage. Leave open ground ahead of the creeping shoots so their lifted ends remain visible.
The lateral branches travel close to the surface, but their young ends lift towards the light. As those fans overlap, they create the cultivar’s characteristic tiers and relief.
Soak the whole root area when the upper soil begins to dry, then let surplus water escape. Constant dampness around the woody base is more harmful than a brief moderate drying interval.
Choose a broad, stable outdoor container with sharp drainage and enough width for the shoots to reach and pass over the rim.
Yes. Dense branching, a creeping woody framework and naturally lifted tips offer excellent material for patient, selective development.
Cold and bright conditions can add a light bronze cast to the blue-green foliage. Its usual colour returns as temperatures moderate.
