Could be a blight, more than one kind is seen on junipers in gardens. Or maybe a bug, like cypress tip moth (which we get in Leyland out here) or another that damages the new growth.

or it may have been a frost or freeze .... in my zone 5... ann arbor area ... we got hit hard this spring...

the problem with frost/freeze ... is that you dont see the damage from it .. until the heat of summer sets in ... its part of the fact that they are evergreen ... i swear they could be dead for months, if not years ... but being 'evergreen' ... dont show the death until... winter dries them out.. or heat dries out the green ..

regardless ... i am NOT suggestign yours are dead..

it can be bug or disease ... or just ma natures cruel sense of humor ... trim them off ... do some superficial inspection toward bboys suggestion ... and move on ...

i will probably happen repeatedly over the years ... so if it really bugs you .. you should probably be rid of them ....

ken

Thank you for your replies. We'll be checking for disease since I noticed that a juniper on another side of the house has a few brown tips as well. I don't hold much hope for the continued good health of my entrance spiral junipers after the extreme stress they experienced in the ice storm 2 winters ago. I was surprised they looked as good as they did later that same summer. Guess it's time to look at replacement. Even if it's not ideal for that type of plant, they look SO good there that I'm sure we'll replace with same. We got our monies worth with these--spiral junipers ain't cheap, but we got these at clearance right after our house was built--paid only $17 apiece for tall ones!

Thanks again,
Tracey