Shimpaku Juniper. This little Juniper is one of the most popular conifers in Japan as a bonsai subject. It is low and compact and slightly irregular, hence it lends itself to training. Grow it in full sun with good drainage. The only problem with Junipers that one might encounter are bag worms in mid to late summer. This is a moth whose larvae can totally defoliate a plant, which then makes cocoons out of its tiny branchlets. They are easily removed by hand, but any Bacillus thuringiensis product, whether powder or liquid, is a great biological control on the rare occasion that one might encounter them.
Zones 3-9
