A Dense Blue-Green Pyramid Built for Hardy Sites

Moffat Blue Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Moffettii') is a classic Rocky Mountain juniper forming a dense, broad pyramid of blue-green foliage. Reaching 15-20 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, it offers reliable color and structure with minimal care. Like its scopulorum cousins, it is extremely cold-hardy, drought-tough, and deer-resistant.

Moffat Blue Juniper Plant Details

Moffat Blue Juniper Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Privacy Screens and Windbreaks

At 15 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, Moffat Blue makes a substantial evergreen wall. Planted 5 to 6 feet apart it forms a dense privacy screen or windbreak that holds its needles and color all winter — exactly what's needed along an exposed back property line in Woodbury, Lakeville, or Maple Grove. A 30-foot run takes about five to six plants for a solid screen.

Steel-Blue Specimen and Foundation Anchor

The crisp blue-green color sets Moffat Blue apart from the usual green evergreens, making it a natural focal point. Use a single plant to anchor a house corner, frame an entry, or punctuate a foundation bed in Edina or Wayzata. Its tidy pyramidal form needs little to no shearing to stay handsome.

Tough Sites: Slopes, Boulevards, and Road Salt

As a Rocky Mountain Juniper selection, Moffat Blue is bred for hard conditions — poor soil, drought, wind, and the road salt that scorches less rugged evergreens. That makes it a reliable pick for boulevard strips, dry slopes, and exposed corner lots in Eden Prairie and Plymouth where a spruce would struggle.

Best Time to Plant Moffat Blue Juniper in Minnesota

As an evergreen, Moffat Blue establishes best when planted in late August through mid-September. The soil is still warm enough to drive root growth, while cooler air eases transplant stress and gives the plant six to eight weeks to settle in before the ground freezes around mid-November. Spring (late April through May) is the solid second choice, leaving a full season to root before the first winter. Avoid the heat of midsummer, and never plant after mid-October — evergreens set out too late are prone to winter desiccation before their roots can support them.

How to Plant Moffat Blue Juniper

1. Dig wide, not deep. Make the hole 2 to 3 times the width of the root ball but no deeper — the top of the root ball should sit slightly above grade. In heavy clay, go even wider.
2. Check drainage. Fill the hole with water; if it pools for hours, you've hit clay hardpan. Break through it or mound-plant a few inches high so roots never sit in standing water.
3. Backfill with amended soil. Mix your native soil with 20 to 30 percent compost. Junipers prefer lean soil, so don't overdo the organic matter — just enough to loosen heavy clay.
4. Space for the form. Set plants 5 to 6 feet apart for a privacy screen or windbreak, or 8 feet apart as individual specimens.
5. Build a water basin. Form a 3 to 4 inch soil ring around the base to channel water to the roots. Flatten it before winter so ice doesn't collect against the trunk.
6. Mulch with bark. Spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips, kept 2 inches off the trunk. Skip gravel mulch — it bakes roots and gives no winter insulation.

Watering Moffat Blue Juniper in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1–2: Deep soak every 1 to 2 days (15–25 minutes at a slow trickle).
• Month 1–2: Every 3 to 4 days.
• Month 3–6: Every 5 to 7 days during active growth; ease off when rain is steady.
• Stop watering 2 to 3 weeks before the ground freezes (late October in the metro) — but give it one last deep drink in early December if fall was dry, to guard against winter burn.

After Year One

Established Moffat Blue is genuinely drought-tolerant and rarely needs supplemental water. During a prolonged dry spell (two-plus weeks of no rain with heat), give it a deep soak every 10 to 14 days. Otherwise let Minnesota's rainfall do the work, and always stop watering 2 to 3 weeks before the ground freezes so the plant can harden off for winter.

Will Moffat Blue Juniper survive a Minnesota winter?

Without question. It's hardy to roughly -40°F (USDA zone 3), far below anything the Twin Cities' zone 4b–5a delivers. As a Rocky Mountain Juniper it's adapted to brutal high-plains winters, so it shrugs off cold, wind, and snow load with no winter wrapping needed once established.

Is it deer-resistant?

Yes — junipers are among the most reliably deer-resistant evergreens for Minnesota. Their prickly, aromatic foliage is something deer rarely browse, which makes Moffat Blue a smart screen for high-pressure western suburbs like Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Chanhassen where deer routinely strip arborvitae.

How blue does it really stay?

Moffat Blue keeps its steel blue-green tone through the seasons, and unlike some junipers it holds that color well in winter rather than fading to a muddy bronze. Color is richest in full sun; in part shade the foliage greens up and the plant grows looser.

Can I plant it near the road or driveway?

Yes. As a Rocky Mountain Juniper it tolerates road salt and reflected winter wind better than most evergreens, making it dependable along boulevard strips and driveway edges where de-icing salt would scorch a spruce or arborvitae.

You May Also Like

• Moonglow Juniper — a fuller silvery-blue upright juniper with the same Rocky Mountain toughness and bolder color.
• Medora Juniper — a very narrow, slow-growing columnar juniper for tight vertical accents.
• Blue Point Juniper — a dense, compact blue-green pyramid that needs little pruning.
• Emerald Feather Juniper — a narrow, bright green native red cedar for slim screening spots.

How Many Moffat Blue Junipers Do I Need?

For a privacy screen or windbreak, space Moffat Blue 5–6 feet apart on center so the 6–8 foot pyramids grow into a solid wall:

As a specimen or corner anchor, one plant does the job — give it 8 feet of clearance from walls and walks.

Moffat Blue Juniper Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: New blue-green growth extends the dense pyramid; no shearing required to keep its tidy shape.
• Summer: A full steel-blue cone that thrives through heat and drought on the leanest soils, with color richest in full sun.
• Fall: Holds its blue-green tone while deciduous neighbors drop, becoming one of the strongest structural elements in the yard.
• Winter: Keeps true blue-green color all winter — no bronzing — while shrugging off -40°F cold, wind, snow load, and road salt.

At a Glance

✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Salt-Tolerant   ✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Moonglow Juniper — a bolder silvery-blue upright to vary the tones in a long screen.
• Medora Juniper — a very narrow column for the tight spots where Moffat Blue is too wide.
• Blue Point Juniper — a dense, compact blue-green pyramid for mid-height structure.
• Emerald Feather Juniper — a bright-green native red cedar to contrast against the blues.

Is Moffat Blue Juniper Right for Your Yard?

Choose Moffat Blue if you have a full-sun site and want a tough, colorful screen or specimen that handles drought, deer, road salt, and -40°F winters with almost zero maintenance. It's not a fit for shady spots — the foliage greens up and grows loose without 6+ hours of sun — or for low spots where water stands.