| General Description | This specimen is a sport of Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'. It's a slow growing, spreading cultivar. Its feather-like branches are bright yellow and have a soft texture. The under-branching is bright green.
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| ID Characteristic | Mother Lode has a very bright golden yellow foliage colour and is flat, low growing groundcover with long trailing branches. It will turn a vibrant orange in the autumn. |
| Shape | Prostrate, low growing and horizontally spreading. |
| Landscape | Valued for is tolerance to many different soil types and climate conditions. Used as an accent plant and as a groundcover, however it is not as vigorous as the blue and green cultivars of J. horizontals in such situations. |
| Propagation | By hardwood cuttings in early to mid-winter, rooted in sand or perlite under mist with bottom heat. |
| Cultivation | Mother Lode is an adaptable plant thriving in full to partial shade and full sun but with the possibility of some winter burn in the later. It prefers well-drained soil but is adaptable to hot dry situations once established. |
| Pests | Juniper blight (Phomopsis) and spider mites may be a problem. |
| Notable Specimens | The Gardens of Fanshawe College (M building), London, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Gray brown and lightly ridged and furrowed, but is barely visible due to the deinstiy of the foliage. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Buds are inconspicuous, 1.5 mm long and sharply pointed. |
| Leaf Description | Ovate to oblong feathery-like soft textured leaves. Shortly pointed leaves with a glandular depression on the back and with awl shaped leaves in opposite pairs. |
| Flower Description | Dioecious, and inconspicuous. Male flowers: united ovid or on oblong catkin. Female flower: 3 - 8 valvate scales, some or all bearing 1 - 2 ovules. Scales become fleshy and unite into a berry like cone in the spring. |
| Fruit Description | Cones are bluish or greenish black, 2.5-3.5 mm long and contain 2-3 seeds which are slightly glaucous. |
| Colour Description | Bright yellow-green in the summer turning to a vibrant orange tinged with purple in the autumn, maintaining its colour throughout the winter. Under-branching is bright green. |
| Texture Description | Medium to fine. The foliage is not prickly and leans more towards the fine side of the spectrum. |
