Juniper Problems Junipers grown in South Carolina are relatively low-maintenance plants if planted in the correct location and given proper cultural care. There are several common problems that can cause browning of needles and dieback of entire shoots, especially when junipers are improperly planted or under stress from the environment. Avoid many of these problems by selecting resistant varieties, avoiding overhead watering and selecting a planting site with good drainage. More information is available in HGIC 1068, Juniper .
Junipers frequently exhibit dieback of shoot tips or entire shoots and browning of needles.
Needles may drop from the plant, and dark cankers may form at the junction of live and dead wood. This problem occurs typically during warm, wet weather conditions and is usually caused by one of the fungal organisms described below. This disease is caused by the fungus Phomopsis juniperovora and begins by infecting the tips of branches smaller than the diameter of a pencil. The new, immature growth becomes infected while the darker green, mature foliage remains resistant to infection. Infected twigs first become pale, then turn reddish-brown and finally become brown after death.