Are Iowa Junipers really wind tolerant? Are all Junipers wind tolerant

6 years ago

I've found a conifer that I think would fit perfectly in our yard. The problem is I live in a wind-swept area, and I'm concerned that this evergreen will get wind burn or just simply not thrive around constant wind. I'm not talking maritime winds, but regular winds. My Christmas tree neighbor's conifers mostly do well because they're all bunched in together in rows, and thus they shield the wind from one another.

The junipers would be in full sun, but they would be right out in the open, on the Southwest part of the house. There would be no other trees to provide a wind break for them; they are the windbreak.

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edlincoln

6 years ago

Not familiar with that juniper, but most junipers are very resistant to wind. My parents live on the coast and have lost a lot of trees to storms, but I've never seen one of the Juniperus virginiana or the ornamental blue cedar of indeterminate species damaged by wind or with sun scald.

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
i would contact my local extension office.. and they should have info on windbreaks for your area ...

and might even have a plant sale to sell small cheap versions of windbreak plants ...

this is bigtime stuff out in farmland USA ... windbreaks i mean ... and the local peeps ought to be a great place to start for said info ...

juniper virginiana ... is invasive to some extent.. in some areas ...

this one is J chinensis.. and for some reason ... i seem to think they arent all that great of z5 ... ill have to mull this ... or stand corrected by others ...

which also suggests.. you need to use the latin.. when searching for info .. it really matters in the tree world.. aka conifers ...

ken

yup.. tip blight .. see if the ext. office knows if it is a problem in your area ... no need to mull it anymore ....

https://www.google.com/webhp?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=Juniperus+chinensis+disease
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Baccharis isn't ugly, it's just boring. It's easy to get started and great for slope stabilization. Decorate it as needed (afforded!) with some flashier plants like Joyce Coulter or Yankee Point ceanothus or one of the lower growing manzanitas. If the space works for taller plants, then the lemonade berry or tall ceanothus are good if you need slope stabilization, but if your slope is pretty gentle, you've got a world of choices. If you want some non-natives, rock-roses and cottoneasters are awfully pretty too. Anything is better than that infernal red apple or, God forbid, ivy. I'd leave the junipers in place and just clean out any dead stuff as it occurs. If you have fire issues with your slope, then a pretty fanatical attention to the removal of dead material is a good idea. And buy yourself a big packet of California poppy seed and sling 'em around everywhere. If the water/rain is right this winter, you may wind up with a blazing sheet of traffic cone orange just for fun. Nil13: Thanks for the info about the newer sprinklers. I was not aware of them.
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the grey owl ought to be bulletproof.. in MI anyway ... these came with the house.. i have no history.. and have been told by many peeps they are GO ..... I bet they have been there at least 35 years ... 10 feet tall.. 20 wide .. or so ... ken
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Eastern White Pines are very intolerant to direct salt spray. There are other pines to plant that are more tolerant such as the Austrian Pine. Spruces are probably better at tolerating the conditions you describe. As you said, Eastern Red Cedar is an excellent choice. Just about any other Juniper will work, too. Crabapples and especially Hawthorns should work. These would give you blooms, and fruit for interest. The latter would also give you thorns unfortunately. Just about anything with thorns will grow well in the conditions you describe, though. Anything in the Elm family should work. The wood is cross-grained so it's very resistant to splitting. The related Zelkova is a tree that I've seen in the situations you describe and they are doing fine. They have nice fall color. Even though they aren't native, Ginkgos will survive just about anything you throw at them. Their unusual leaves create a lot of interest. They are the best for brilliant yellow fall color. I don't live right on the water but I do live within view of the ocean and oaks are everywhere particularly members of the red oak family. I would suggest a scarlet oak for your situation. They love terrible soil and have great fall color. You can buy your average run of the mill red oak at Home Depot or Lowe's for a very cheap price. Bur Oak is another good choice but they are harder to find. The other tree prevalent in my area is the tupelo or black gum tree. While normally associated with wet soil. They are very adaptable to dry, infertile, sandy soil. They have wood that is cross-grained like elms so they absolutely will not break in the wind. They have great fall color. Sweet gums would probably work for you if you can handle the spiky gumballs that they drop. Fall color is excellent. I've seen Larch trees near the ocean around here especially in Plymouth and they do just fine. Honeylocusts would probably do OK. The Kentucky coffeetree is not common here but I have seen some around and they do just fine. They would be very tolerant of the conditions you describe. Their long pods are interesting but messy.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
btw.. for search purposes ... windbreaks are soil conservation .... so see if you can limit down the search at the link below.. for your county ...

ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=NY+soil+conservation+&t=ffcm&ia=web

then

https://www.nys-soilandwater.org/

then

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=NY+soil+conservation+windbreak+plant+recommendation&t=ffcm&ia=web

hey .. how about his one ... good luck ..

https://www.nys-soilandwater.org/contacts/county_offices.html#Wayne
edlincoln
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Are you looking for ornamental trees that can tolerate wind, or an actual wind break? Pitch Pine and Eastern Red Cedar are native trees that thrive on wind but aren't super attractive...Norway Spruce also is pretty wind tolerant and pretty pretty.

I found this list useful:

Selecting Trees for Your Home - Sort by tolerance
waynedanielson
6 years ago
some how you live in an area of zone five that has wind that where I grew up in zone 3 and wind coming off the north Dakota prairie, we still could grow things you can't.

I know the above sentence is nonsensical, but good grief girl...you are trying to reinvent the wheel with every thing you do, and nothing can possibly grow where you are because you have conditions no one else on the planet has. I've seen it, done it, trumped it...unless you are in a desert, which east of the Mississippi, unlikely.

here's one for you...I have references that cite Saybrook Gold Juniper as prone to winter burn. From eastern north Dakota, u of mn, and multiple landscape sources of impeccable repute from the five state area of the upper Midwest (ND, SD, MN, WI, IA), it's perfectly hardy and shows superior resistance to winterburn. So for every source you can show me, I can show you another citing the exact opposite. That's how horticulture is...it's not always as nice and neat as people like to believe.

I know people on the North Dakota prairie that don't have the problems you have. You know, that place where two story buildings are built for windloads of 170 mph straightline? Where the governor has a standing order for cancelling school when the temp is colder than -55 degrees. I'll let you ask if it's F or C...that's just cold any way you cut it.

What I know about J. chinensis is that wind tolerance is kinda variable and will most likely be hard to discern apart from winterburn. Some cultivars will have winter tolerance to wind and sun in spades, some under certain conditions, some not so much. If you want to know which, you gotta go local. there has to be some local place that's been around forever...even in ottertail county, mn, there's a nursery that's been in operation for over 100 years...there's always a place like that, been around forever, if they don't carry it, or know of it, don't bother.

J. virginiana is plenty hardy, all cultivars. IN ZONE FRIGGIN 3. WITH NORTH DAKOTA WIND. prone to turning purple in winter. J. scopulorum is plenty hardy, some variation among cultivars, but don't discolor the way that J. virginiana cultivars can. NOTE: Medora juniper, from the town of Medora, on the north Dakota prairie. Yes, I know I cite ND a lot, but if you have problems with wind and cold and want hardiness above all else, look to what does well under conditions that make any part of western NY look like a walk in a balmy spring breeze. J. scopulorum 'Medora'.
edlincoln
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Chill. He actually DIDN'T say his conditions were unique. He just doesn't know how others solve these problems.

One thing that is helpful is to visit local arboretums and universities and look for old specimens of the trees you are are considering. See what they look like in your area. If you can't find any old specimens in an arboretum near you...be worried.

Juniperus scopulorum is more attractive then Juniperus virginiana, (which I finds turns can turn an ugly maroon in winter and look ratty if grown in shade) but I understand Juniperus scopulorum has some disease problems on the East Coast. Doesn't like local humidity levels or something.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years ago
Yup, J. scopulorum is fairly short-lived in humid eastern conditions.
ilovemytrees thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH

Are Iowa Junipers really wind tolerant? Are all Junipers wind tolerant

edlincoln

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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