Can humans eat juniper berries?
Unlike other berries, juniper berries are typically used only in small amounts to flavor foods — not eaten in large portions. They have an astringent, pine-like taste, which makes them a popular ingredient for seasoning recipes and infusing beverages.
What tree do juniper berries grow on?
juniper, (genus Juniperus), genus of about 60 to 70 species of aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
How do I identify juniper berries?
A helpful way to perfect juniper tree identification is by looking at its cones. Juniper cones on male trees are small and either yellow or tan. The female plants produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. Northwest species berries turn blue at maturity, but some species have red berries.
What's a juniper bush look like?
Some common junipers have spiny needle-like leaves that grow in whorls of three: The leaves are sharp-pointed and glossy green with a broad white band on the upper side. The adult tree shape is often narrowly columnar. Common juniper bark is red-brown and peels off in thin, vertical stripes.
What are juniper berries good for?
Juniper berries or extract of the plant has traditionally been used as diuretic, anti-arthritis, anti-diabetes, antiseptic as well as for the treatment of gastrointestinal and autoimmune disorders.
Is juniper poisonous to dogs?
ANSWER: The University of California - Davis list Juniperus (Junipers) in their Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants list as having a minor toxicity (class 2) for pets and children. This rating means ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea.
What type of juniper berries are edible?
The common juniper, Juniperus communis, is the variety most often used to make gin, medicines, and food dishes, as it is considered safe for human consumption....Other edible juniper berries include:Juniperus drupacea.Juniperus phoenicea.Juniperus californica.Juniperus deppeana.
Are cedar berries and juniper berries the same?
Eastern red cedar berries are related to common juniper berries but are superior in flavor. They are mild without the turpentine notes and bitterness of common juniper. They are almost sweet with a woodsy, piney flavor.
What part of juniper is edible?
Edible Parts: The berries and twigs are edible but may be bitter and have a strong taste. Eat the berries raw or roast the seeds to use as a coffee substitute. Use dried and crushed berries as a seasoning for meat or as a spice (juniper berries are the primary flavoring in gin). Gather young twigs to make a tea.
How big do juniper bushes get?
With shapes ranging from ground-hugging juniper bushes just 6 inches high to towering juniper trees 130 feet tall, and colors from steely blue to shimmering gold, there's a juniper that suits nearly every landscape need.
Do juniper bushes smell?
Juniperus californica produces a woody, cedar smell from both its foliage and its wood. Juniperus communis smells like gin. Some of the Far Western species of juniper smell of both; it depends upon where you sniff.
How fast do junipers grow?
Juniperus scopulorm, or Rocky Mountain juniper, is native to the Rocky Mountains and the Northwestern Great Plains. A mature height of 20 to 30 feet and spread 8 to 12 feet is typical, with a slow growth rate of 1 foot per year.
Where are juniper berries found?
Juniper berries found in the grocery store and in gin are those of the common juniper, which grows as a low sprawling shrub and can be found in many parts of North America as well as Europe. However, it is not so "common" in the mid-Atlantic and other regions, as it favors cliff edges and rocky soils.
Where is juniper berry found?
The plant grows wild in many parts of Europe and Asia and in North America. In India, it is found in Himalayas at an altitude of 1500-4000 mtrs above MSL. It thrives well on warm sunny places especially in mountain slopes.
Do juniper berries grow on cedar trees?
Red Cedar Fruit On the other hand, fertilized female flowers of Eastern red cedar trees bear small cones in bunches, each one round and some 1/4 inch across. They are called red cedar berries or juniper berries because they are a deep purple-blue color with a white wax coating.
Can I use juniper berries from a tree?
Juniper berries have a strong, bitter, slightly peppery flavor and gritty texture. Instead, just a small quantity of mature juniper berries are added to recipes as a flavoring or spice. They can be added whole and fresh off the shrub to marinades, meat rubs, wood chips when smoking meats, or added to pickling meats.
How big do juniper leaves get?
Sharp, prickly needle leaves identify immature juniper trees and shrubs and typically grow in whorls of three and measure 0.2 – 1” (0.5 – 2.5 cm). In addition, mature junipers have soft scale leaves that look more like arborvitae tree leaves.
What do the cones on a juniper tree look like?
The small round green or dark purple cones on juniper trees and shrubs grow among the needle-like foliage. The colorful cones give juniper trees an appealing quality in garden landscapes where they stay on the tree or shrub throughout the year.
What is a skyrocket juniper?
The ‘Skyrocket’ juniper tree is a columnar juniper that is perfect to create a visual accent in a garden landscape. The narrow, columnar juniper is identified by its scale-like aromatic leaves that are a bluish-green color. The juniper has identifiable thin, reddish-brown peeling bark and bluish-gray berry-like cones.
What are juniper cones made of?
Juniper tree cones are unusual compared to other conifers. The modified cones are made up of tiny scales that don’t become woody like pine cones. Instead, the scales stay fleshy and eventually fuse and develop into “berries.”
What family is a juniper tree in?
Juniper trees and shrubs belong to the genus Juniperus in the coniferous plant family Cupressaceae.
What is the name of the tree with flattened spray foliage growing on pendulous branches?
Juniper identification: The weeping Mexican juniper is the only specimen tree with flattened spray foliage growing on pendulous branches.
What is a California Juniper?
The California juniper is a native shrub-like juniper tree identified by scaly green-gray leaves, dark blue-brownish fleshy cones, and thin peeling bark. The short scaly leaves on mature plants grow 0.2” (0.5 cm) long. Like all junipers, the evergreen leaves are stiff and prickly on immature shrubs.
What does a juniper smell like?
The leaves smell like cedar, lemons, apples, or incense when crushed. Junipers are unique in that they are dioecious. This means they are individual plants are either male or female but not both and flower differently.
What is the smell of juniper trees?
Without knowing they were juniper branches, my friend had discovered just one of the amazing properties of the juniper tree: it’s delicious, sweet, and woody aroma.
Where are Juniper trees native to?
They are actually members of the cypress family but some of the species are also called red cedars. There are about 30 species of juniper and they are all native to the Northern Hemisphere, where they are widespread all over Europe, Asia, Japan, Alaska, Canada, ...
Where do Junipers grow?
There are about 30 species of juniper and they are all native to the Northern Hemisphere, where they are widespread all over Europe, Asia, Japan, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the United States. You can find them in the Appalachians, Utah, California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Is Juniper a volatile oil?
This is all because Juniper has diuretic, antiseptic, stomachic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties because of a volatile oil found in the berries. It contains terpenes, flavonoid glycosides, tannins, sugar, tar, and resin.
Do juniper trees smell good?
If you are lucky enough to have a juniper bush on your property, you may benefit from its leaves and fruit – and its smell! Make sure you consult with a professional herbalist and a doctor if you are on any medication before using juniper for health reasons.
How To Identify a Juniper
Junipers pop up in the most stunning colors. Breaking away from the usual wintery greens of other coniferous trees, Junipers occur in vibrant cool shades of blue and even warmer colors like bronze and almost luminous shades of gold.
Types of Junipers
Below we’ll take a closer look at a few specific types of Juniper trees ranging from the common to the far rarer.
Juniper Bonsais
Fun fact, Junipers also make the perfect bonsais. Juniper is one of the few bonsai trees that can be placed either outdoors in the sun or indoors. While numerous varieties of Juniper trees can be cultivated into bonsais, the most popular choice is Juniperus Chinesis, Chinese Juniper.
Final Word
Juniper is one of the most richly diverse tree species in the world. Growing naturally in many shades of vibrant greens, blues, and golds, these trees indeed are the perfect addition to any garden. Whether you have a massive backyard or a small curbside garden bed, numerous Juniper species would be ideal.
What is a juniper berry?
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which gives it a berry-like appearance.
How big are Juniperus communis berries?
Juniperus communis berries vary from four to twelve millimeters in diameter; other species are mostly similar in size, though some are larger, notably J. drupacea (20–28 mm). Unlike the separated and woody scales of a typical pine cone, those in a juniper berry remain fleshy and merge into a unified covering surrounding the seeds.
What is the flavor of Juniper seeds?
A few North American juniper species produce a seed cone with a sweeter, less resinous flavor than those typically used as a spice. For example, one field guide describes the flesh of the berries of Juniperus californica as "dry, mealy, and fibrous but sweet and without resin cells". Such species have been used not just as a seasoning but as a nutritive food by some Native Americans. In addition to medical and culinary purposes, Native Americans have also used the seeds inside juniper berries as beads for jewellery and decoration.
Why did the Greeks use juniper berries?
The Greeks used the berries in many of their Olympics events because of their belief that the berries increased physical stamina in athletes. The Romans used juniper berries as a cheap domestically produced substitute for the expensive black pepper and long pepper imported from India.
What is the spice of juniper?
The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries may be the only spice derived from conifers.
How long does it take for a berry to mature?
The berries are green when young, and mature to a purple-black colour over about 18 months in most species, including J. communis (shorter, 8–10 months in a few species, and about 24 months in J. drupacea ). The mature, dark berries are usually but not exclusively used in cuisine, while gin is flavoured with fully grown but unripe berries.
Where is Juniperus phoenicea found?
Juniper berries, including Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs at multiple sites. J. oxycedrus is not known to grow in Egypt, and neither is Juniperus excelsa, which was found along with J. oxycedrus in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
What is a California Juniper?
California juniper is usually found as a large shrub in the Southwest, though it can sometimes grow to be a medium-sized tree in the wild. It features scale-like blue-gray leaves and reddish-brown cones. In landscaping, it is used to create wildlife habitats and in drought-tolerant gardening. It is very tolerant of alkaline soils and is often used to provide erosion control on dry slopes. It is also often used in bonsai.
What is a Chinese Juniper?
One variety of the Chinese juniper ('Toruloso') is known as the Hollywood juniper. As it matures it creates an intriguing twisted form that works well as a specimen plant. There are many other varieties composed of different shapes and colors. The leaves on Chinese juniper are needle-like when the plants are young, but assume the shape of scales as the plant matures. This is one of the junipers with good tolerance for urban conditions, but it does not like wet soils.
What is the name of the tree that grows on rocky cliffs?
The Greek juniper is a large shrub or tree that is often found growing alongside the stinking juniper ( Juniperus foetidissima)— a species with a similar appearance but which is lighter green. These hardy trees can even grow on the sides of rocky cliffs. Like many junipers, the leaves on juvenile Greek junipers are needles that become flattened scales as the tree matures. The foliage is gray-green, and the trunks can be quite massive—up to 6 feet in diameter. The cones on female trees are purple-blue berries.
What is the name of the plant that makes gin?
It is generally the female plants that produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. The berry/cones of the common juniper ( Juniperus communis) provide the flavoring for gin.
Why is a juniper drooping?
Drooping juniper gets its name because of the way that the branchlets droop down. As juveniles, these upright trees have needle-like leaves that become flattened scales in the mature plants. This tree has a reddish-brown or gray bark that sheds in strips and the cones are greenish berries that mature into purplish-brown.
Why is a juniper tree called a drooping juniper?
Drooping juniper gets its name because of the way that the branchlets droop down. As juveniles, these upright trees have needle-like leaves that become flattened scales in the mature plants. This tree has a reddish-brown or gray bark that sheds in strips and the cones are greenish berries that mature into purplish-brown.
What is a red cedar tree?
Red cedar is a form of juniper that is especially fragrant, a quality that is sometimes used to repel insects (the wood is often used in cedar chests). This is an upright tree with dark blue-green scale-like foliage. The bark is gray to reddish-brown and often shreds in vertical strips; the trunk is sometimes fluted at the bottom. It is used as a specimen tree or in large screen plantings. Do not plant this tree near apple trees, as it is a host to cedar-apple rust fungus. Unlike many junipers, this tree has a fairly good tolerance for moisture, though it does not like to soak in boggy soil.
What are juniper berries?
Juniper berries are the uniquely evolved cones of evergreen shrubs in the Juniper genus. The scales of these cones have evolved into a fleshy layer that causes the cones to look like berries when they are mature. Humans have historically had a number of uses for these "berries," as both a medicinal ingredient and a source of flavoring. The characteristic flavor of gin, for example, comes from them, and they are used in a variety of spice mixes such as the classic blend of spices in Alsatian food.
Why do people use Juniper berries in pickling?
Scandinavians often use them in pickling blends, because the berries have a “clear” flavor that many people find quite enjoyable. Before using the berries in cooking, they should be lightly crushed to release their flavor, as the external scales of the cones are not very flavorful. The cones are available in both fresh and dried form; fresh ones have a more assertive flavor, and they are preferable, when available.
Do juniper berries help with pregnancy?
Caution should be taken when consuming the berries, however, as they have been shown to induce labor; pregnant women should obviously avoid gin anyway because of the alcohol, but they should also steer clear of herbal formulas with juniper.
How to identify juniper berries?
It is important to know how to identify them from other possibly poisonous berries if you are in need of food, or if you are trying to grow a juniper plant. Search for open, sunny areas in the forest. Make sure they are dry areas without a lot of moisture, humidity or marshy landscape. Juniper berries grow all year round.
What is a juniper bush?
Look to see if the plant that has these berries hanging on it is a shorter bush, shrubs or tree. Remember that juniper is an evergreen that looks a bit like a cedar tree. Juniper leaves are short, no longer than two centimeters. The branches are full of theses leaves and do not extend to far from the core of the juniper plant.
What is the smell of juniper sap?
Juniper's sap is very sticky and thick, with an aroma similar to that of the berries. It is also dark-colored. Look to see if the plant that has these berries hanging on it is a shorter bush, shrubs or tree. The branches are full of theses leaves and do not extend to far from the core of the juniper plant. Collect the juniper berries once you have ...
What do you smell when you see a juniper?
You will smell a pine aroma that is very strong as you come closer to the juniper plant. They hang in clusters. Juniper berries can be used for a variety of things, including survival food in the forest, creating gin spirits and as a delectable addition to edgy cuisine.
What do the leaves on a juniper plant look like?
The branches are full of theses leaves and do not extend to far from the core of the juniper plant. The leaves are thin, green and pointy. The berries should be hanging off of these leaves. Feel that base and branches of the juniper to look for sap.
Where do Juniper berries grow?
Search for open, sunny areas in the forest. Make sure they are dry areas without a lot of moisture, humidity or marshy landscape. Juniper berries grow all year round. Although they are well-known to the desert and mountainous areas, that is not the only place juniper plants grow.
Do juniper berries extend to the core?
The branches are full of theses leaves and do not extend to far from the core of the juniper plant. Collect the juniper berries once you have identified all these parts of the juniper plant. It is important to look for other characteristics, other than just the blue berries, to make sure that the plant is not a poisonous one in disguise.
What is a juniper plant?
They are female seed cones that come juniper plants — a type of conifer ( Pinophyta ), which is a cone-bearing plant or tree. Juniper plants vary in appearance and can grow low and wide like a shrub or tall like a tree. Their uniquely fleshy, merged scales make them look like a berry, thus the name.
What are the three antioxidants that juniper berries have?
Perhaps most significantly, the activity of three extremely important antioxidants in the body is encouraged by juniper berries: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase. (9) Issues with SOD are linked to ALS, Down syndrome, cancers and lung issues.
What is the only spice that comes from a conifer tree?
Juniper berries are officially the only spice to come from a conifer tree. (1) One of the major uses of these berries is in juni per berry essential oil. Known in folk medicine and some modern research as a natural antiseptic and antioxidant, the essential oil of juniper berries is a popular therapeutic oil.
What did the Greeks use juniper berries for?
Long before they were used in food, the Greeks used juniper berries as medicine and stimulants for Olympic athletes. (5) Romans used them as a less expensive pepper substitute.
Why are juniper berries good for you?
Because they have a large quantity of antioxidants, juniper berries have a long list of health benefits. Consuming juniper berries can help to prevent major diseases, kill bacteria, improve the appearance of the skin, treat insomnia and even kill the parasite that causes leishmaniasis.
Is juniper berry essential oil a natural antiseptic?
Natural antiseptic. The antibacterial and antifungal qualities of juniper berries have stood the test of time — which is one reason that juniper berry essential oil is often suggested as a natural household cleaning agent. These berries have compelling effects on many strains of bacteria and fungi.
Can you eat juniper berries with gin?
In addition to their slightly misleading name, juniper berries are also not a berry you would generally eat with breakfast, like blueberries (even though they’re similar in size). Instead, juniper berries are often used as a bitter spice. In fact, they give gin its distinctive flavor.
