I'd look at information about the various juniper blights. Also if herbicide granules or other chemicals were used around the plant maybe that caused it. Hot or cold weather might also be involved, if you had either of those along the way

Cercospora blight is one distinct possibility as it starts in the lower sections of the branches and progresses toward the tips. There are probably fungicides registered for use against this disease, but I have no idea how effective they may be. Blue Star is a vigorous and pretty disease recent cultivar, so pruning out the worst of the browned branches - disinfecting pruners between cuts - may be all that's needed. Replacing the mulch around the plant is also a good idea as fungus spores overwinter in it. Wet conditions provide an ideal environment for fungal diseases of all types, so I am wondering how wet this area is given the nearby downspout. If the drainage is less than ideal and the mulch never really dries out, moving the plant to a different area may help.

boy.. thats jumping to the extreme.. real fast ..

where are you .... recent transplant?? .. how bad was winter.. how much water is it getting from that downspout [during winter also] ... etc ... no real info here.. except a jump to disease ...

frankly ... it look like a lot of my Js after a MI winter ... especially on a plant in the ground, less than a year ...

does sun reflect off the cement wall in winter ... all the damage seems to be on that side ....

i see no dead branches.. just some brown tips ...

its not hungry.. no fert ..

and im not current on prices.. but if these are 10 buck bigboxstore plants ... i wouldnt go wasting 20 bucks on trying to cure it... if in fact.. there is anything to cure ...

ken

Maine mentions Cercospora, and there's also Phomopsis-another fungal pathogen of some junipers. Oddly, junipers are among a small group of plant species/genera wherein organic mulches can compound these tip blight problems. Normally-for 99.99% of plant types-woodchip mulch is strictly beneficial. It may not be with junipers.

Juniperus squamata is known for being resistant to most common juniper twig blights but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I would be concerned about the soil quality - how good is the drainage? Does the soil stay consistently wet through winter? Junipers like fast draining soils in full sun.

IME, that is NOT how a healthy Blue Star juniper should look after winter so some sort of issue is causing the browning tips and stem die back. If you can't confirm any soil issues, I'd take a sample to my local extension office for a diagnosis and suggested treatment.

I've seen individual whole dead branches on 'Blue Star' many times. Container operations with irrigation water splashing around seem almost guaranteed to produce this outcome in my area.

I'd echo Ken's comments. Check into culture first. No idea what location, climate, soil quality, drainage, history. Too little information.

I have about 15 blue star junipers spread out over a large yard. They have all been in the ground for 15 to 20 years now and are about 10' across. They have been super healthy for all these years until last year. Then they started to turn brown from the inside out. I have lost a few of them already and they are starting to look really bad this year. I tried shaking a branch for bugs but couldn't see anything. I took off all of the dead branches last year and now whatever is wrong is going crazy on them. Like I said these plants have been in great shape until recently, nothing has changed and I fear I'm going to lose all of them. I'm willing to try whatever might work, please give me some ideas as to what to try. I live in the PNW Seattle area.

Thank you in advance.

Grefisk, take samples to a cooperative extension office? We have nothing really to go on, though it sounds like a disease of some type. Photos might get you some input.

I have pretty much given up on most J. squamata as they all do this to me (especially Blue Star and Floriant). When a conifer expert from the UK happened to visit my garden recently, he felt that I was not watering them enough. All other Junipers that I have tried are virtually bulletproof here.

Thank you for the input. What's frustrating is these are old and they have been bullet proof all these years, then two years ago they all started to die. Now I've lost several and I have no idea why this is happening. They are all over the yard so not in just one place. And they are all on different slopes facing different directions. Here are some pictures that hopefully may help, As you can see these are all in different stages of dying, notice the white powdery substance in deep on picture #3. They start dying from the outer edges then work there way in or across the bush.

It looks likely to be fungal, I think. Check out this page on tip bights in junipers.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/juniper-diseases-insect-pests/

Also, changing growing conditions over time can effect plants’ susceptibility to disease such as weather and climate changes or changes in light levels as other plants grow or are cut down or something like construction changing runoff or a new irrigation system altering moisture levels.

I know this is an older thread, but I would like to ask Greg Fisk how his junipers are now doing after this winter and the spider mite treatment?

Mine are looking pretty bad as well. I think the location is not suitable (north) and a little too wet. I am with Sara, I just have never had good luck with them.

Would anyone be able to recommend a sturdier replacement that has a similar branching style? I realize I will have to sacrifice the pretty color.