Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

We found no native junipers with the common name "spreading juniper" but found these, all native to South Dakota, with similar common names:

Juniperus communis (Common juniper)

Juniperus communis var. depressa (Common juniper)  Pictures

Juniperus horizontalis (Creeping juniper) - only this one is shown in a USDA Plant Profile Map as being native to Meade County, so we will use that one as an example, as they are all low-growing members of the Juniperus genus, growing under similar conditions. Pictures of J. horizontalis

On our webpage for Juniperus horizontalis (Creeping juniper)  (read by following plant link) these Growing Conditions are cited:

"Conditions Comments: Creeping juniper withstands hot, dry situations but is very intolerant of shade and poor drainage. It is slow-growing, long-lived, and susceptible to juniper blight."

So, if your junipers are not getting enough sun and/or are in poorly-drained clay soils, that is our first clue to the problem. A discussion of Juniper Blight is found in this University of Illinois Extension article Phomopsis Blight.

Don't feel alone in this situation. Mr. Smarty Plants and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center have been deluged with juniper questions, tall and short, several species and over different parts of the country recently. We are going to link you to a previous answer that pretty much sums up what we know about juniper problems and has several other links you can study. Previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer on juniper problems.

We also recommend you contact the South Dakota State Univerisity Cooperative Exension Service for Meade County for some closer to home suggestions.