My shrubs smell like cat urine..Help!

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pajaritomt Los Alamos, NM(Zone 5a) Apr 14, 2009

Juniper are the main allergen here in New Mexico. The hay fever people get in early springs is often called Juniper Fever and few escape it. But I think our native junipers produce much more pollen than most. The male tree ( would be called a shrub back east) is literally covered with brown pollen in the spring. It is illegal to sell them for landscaping in Albuquerque, but of course they plant themselves. They have been here for millenia, at least.

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Apr 14, 2009

We get a coating of chartreuse-colored oak pollen - then the catkins rain down on everything for a while.
I had cousins in Albuquerque that used to send pinyon pine nut candy, that stuff was the best!

Juniperus 'Grey Owl'

Thumbnail by claypa
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ejennings San Angelo, TX(Zone 7b) Apr 17, 2009

Windy- that looks like mine, except mine are square. Even without pruning (they don't much) they don't sprout out or up?

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Windy Belleville, IL(Zone 6b) Apr 18, 2009

I never had shrubs before and hate the mess when I shear them. I am putting it off but I don't think I can put it off much longer. LOL

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pajaritomt Los Alamos, NM(Zone 5a) Apr 18, 2009

Shrubs can be wonderful. Juniper and boxwood are not among my favorites, but can be innocuous. Replace them with spirea ( bridal wreath) or hydrangea or an number of lovely flowering shrubs which don't need all that much trimming unless you plant them in a space they are too large for. Actually you can grow camelias and azaleas which are stupendous.
My advice is to replace those hated shrubs rather than trimming them.

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Windy Belleville, IL(Zone 6b) Apr 18, 2009

I have a really cool double bridal wreath out in the yard.With all the rain we got the past few months, it is really putting on a show.
For sure they are a lot easier to maintain than shrubs that need trimming.
My hummers have been around so I had to set out the feeder already.

Thumbnail by Windy
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pajaritomt Los Alamos, NM(Zone 5a) Apr 18, 2009

Bridal wreath doesn't mind being trimmed if you want to do so. In fact it likes it, but it is lovely if you choose not to trim it -- just as the one you sent in your photograph. Replace the boxwoods with something you like better, I would say.

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