Juniper

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Juniper
Scientific name	Juniperus
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Cupressaceae
Type	Evergreen conifer
Habitat	Sunny, well-drained, rocky ground
Native range	Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic to the tropics
Flowering season	Late spring to early summer
Edible parts	Berries (cones), used as a spice
Special feature	Drought tolerant; berries flavour gin

Juniper is a group of evergreen conifers, and the “berries” of some kinds, especially common juniper, are used as a spice in cooking. Junipers are among the hardiest and most drought-tolerant plants around, and gardeners love them for their fresh scent and neat shapes. Young juniper plants often have sharp, needle-like leaves, while many older plants grow soft, flat, scale-like leaves. Juniper berries have traditionally been used for upset stomachs and other digestive problems. In Scotland people once burned juniper to ward off evil, and in Tibet it is burned as a purifying incense.

History

At multiple sites of ancient Egypt tombs, the berries of juniper plants have been found. These berries came from Greece and thereafter imported into Egypt. In the past, The Greeks used these berries as a medicine and also in their food. The Greeks also used the berries in their Olympic events because they believed that the berries could augment their physical stamina as athletes. Since ancient times, in temples, juniper was used by every culture for ritual cleansing and purification. 200 years ago, in Europe, they used it to strengthen the body of sick people and also to maintain good health. The first recorded mention of the use of juniper was 1500’s BCE in an Egyptian papyrus.

Anatomy

Juniper leaves are either needle-like or scale-like, and many plants have both kinds. The needle-like leaves are sharp and stiff, while the scale-like leaves overlap tightly along the twigs. Most junipers are dioecious, which means each plant is either male or female, but some have both on the same plant. Male plants make small yellow pollen cones in spring, and female plants make the “berries,” which are really small cones with fleshy, fused scales. The berries are often blue or purple with a whitish waxy coating, though some species have red-brown or orange ones; they take one to three years to ripen and hold up to 12 seeds.

Habitat

The Juniper plant is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic and in the Mountains of Central America and from South to tropical Africa to Old World. It is found in southwestern Asia up to the Himalayas, in Europe, and North America. It grows in mountainous regions, northerly moorlands and in the Southern Coastal areas. It is cultivated mainly for its berries. Its root, bark and wood are also useful.. It is also found in some of the Scottish Mountains and on limestone hills. You find it in North Africa and North Asia as well. It is especially abundant in Eastern Oregon and central Texas. In Scotland it occurs in border areas.

Soil

The Juniper plant grows in any soil conditions provided it is well drained. It can tolerate the road pollution and spray from road salt. In the Northern hemisphere is distributed in rocky soil. They can tolerate any soil types, but they need a sunny location..

Planting

A planting of the juniper plant is done in any season of the year. But the best is planted in the fall. Planting is done by digging a hole, deep enough for the root ball and 2 to 3 times broader.

Water

A young juniper plant requires watering regularly for the first two years during dry spells. Afterward, it is a drought tolerant. It can survive in adverse conditions. And depend on what nature provides. It requires adequate water supply in the growing season.

Care

Care of juniper plant is very easy. It does not need pruning to maintain its attractive shape. After planting it also requires fertilizers in the spring season and thereafter every other year.

Harvest

The blue, purple, violet and blackish blown fruit of juniper plant is harvested in the early autumn season. Its fruits are harvested for its culinary and medicinal uses. All the berries are not useful for harvest. The scent and flavor of the berries of juniper plant are immediately strongest after harvesting. Harvesting of these berries is not a commercial process. You need only a bucket and a ladder to harvest berries. Harvesting is done by hand picking and collecting the fallen fruits from the ground.

Pests and Disease

The Juniper Twig Girdler is the pest of juniper plant. It is a brown moth with small shiny wings. It causes the small limbs of the affected Junipers to turn yellow, then brown, and finally die. To control the damage from this pest, spraying insecticide is best for protection. Spider mites are another big pest which poses a threat to the juniper plant. These pests suck nutrients and sap from the plant causing the leaves to become yellow and molted. The Bark Beetle Pest can bore holes in the trunk of the plant and cause the branches to die. Juniper Needle Miner causes holes in the leaves of the plant.

Uses

Oil distilled from juniper leaves, wood and berries is used in perfumes, soaps and cosmetics. The berries have a bittersweet, piney flavor and are used in sauces, stuffings, pickled meats and sauerkraut, and they give gin its special taste. In traditional herbal medicine, juniper has been used for digestion and in steam inhalations for coughs and colds. Juniper wood is fragrant and long-lasting, and some kinds, like eastern red cedar, are used to make chests, fence posts and pencils. Juniper berries can upset the stomach if eaten in large amounts, and some junipers are poisonous, so never eat berries you find without asking an expert.

Related: Juniper Tree

Juniper FAQs