We dare to assume that evergreen conifers like thuja and juniper are unlikely to ever go out of fashion: in addition to being an integral part of landscape design, they also do an excellent job of improving the air quality.
But which plant will be the best choice for your country plot? The expert of the online publication BelNovosti, scientist-agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh answered the question of what should be taken into account when choosing conifers.
Crown shape
The breeders deserve our gratitude: they managed to develop a lot of varieties of cypress, so with regard to both thuja and juniper we can safely say that there is plenty to choose from.
First, it is worth clarifying what shape of plant you would like to see on your property. If you need a plant with a perfect spherical crown, we can definitely recommend only thuja. Those who want to buy a creeping plant should take a closer look at the horizontal juniper. If you are planning to build a hedge, choose columnar thuja.
Growing conditions
Despite the fact that both conifers are famous for their unpretentiousness, each of them has certain requirements for maintenance conditions.
So, thuja needs rich soil, regularly maintained humidity and sunlight. If the site is located near the road and you have to put up with a polluted and smoky environment - no problem, for thuja this is not a problem.
Unfortunately, this cannot be said about juniper, which needs clean air. Another difference: juniper can grow in poor soil, and successfully tolerates drought and frost.
Benefit
Finally, it is worth noting that if we compare such a parameter as the amount of active substances released by the plant that can suppress pathogenic bacteria (phytoncides), then juniper is the winner.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
