Skyrocket

Skyrocket Juniper
(Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket')
This juniper has a very narrow form, and has fine thread-like foliage, grey-blue in colour, but unless grown in ideal conditions the central trunk is usually displayed due to the thinness and sparseness of the foliage.

Skyrocket's narrow upright shape is a supposed to create a dramatic contrast with low growing plants, whose foliage grows horizontally. This effect maybe useful in some gardens, but it appears out of place to my eye.

At present, it is being promoted and sold by a number of garden centres, as a neat fast growing plant for today's new narrow backyards.

This is all great and wonderful, until they all die in our cold zone 2 winters. Then of course the customer is unhappy, but in reality both seller and buyer are at fault.

The seller should ask where it's being planted, and the buyer has the responsibility to 'at least read the tag' on the plant,
   --- and realize that it rated for zone 4 to 8 gardens!