Juniperus communis 'Compressa' is a dwarf, narrow-upright selection of common juniper with silvery blue, somewhat prickly foliage. It's branching is so tight that one can neither see through it or poke a finger into it. 'Compressa' is among a group of plants that is a "must have" in the conifer garden. Like little exclamation points, they make perfect accents.
Like many of the older conifers in the nursery trade, the quality of 'Compressa' examples offered for sale has suffered through decades of selecting the strongest growing shoots for propagation, resulting in looser, faster-growing plants that no longer represent the intent of the selection. A "true" plant will measure only 20 - 24 inches (50 - 60 cm) tall and 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of around 2 inches (5 cm).
This cultivar was originally described in 1949 by Élie-Abel Carrière and Alfred Rehder. However, similar plants have been known to exist in the European nursery trade since the mid 1850s, making it much more logical to place this selection under forma status.
