Juniperus communis, the common juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in
the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant,
throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in
mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.
Description Juniperus communis is a shrub or small
coniferous evergreen tree, very variable and often a low spreading shrub, but
occasionally reaching 10 m tall. It has needle-like leaves in whorls of three;
the leaves are green, with a single white stomatal band on the inner
surface. It is dioecious, with male and female cones on separate plants, which
are wind pollinated. The seed cones are berry-like, green
ripening in 18 months to purple-black with a blue waxy coating; they are
spherical, 4–12 mm diameter, and usually have three fused scales, each scale with
a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the
fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The male cones are
yellow, 2–3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in March–April.
= Subspecies= As to be expected from the wide range,
J. communis is very variable, with several infraspecific taxa; delimitation
between the taxa is still uncertain, with genetic data not matching
morphological data well. subsp. communis – Common juniper.
Usually an erect shrub or small tree; leaves long, 8–20(–27) mm; cones small,
5–8 mm, usually shorter than the leaves; found at low to moderate altitude in
temperate climates. subsp. communis var. communis – Europe,
most of northern Asia subsp. communis var. depressa Pursh –
North America, Sierra Nevada in California
subsp. communis var. hemisphaerica Parl. – Mediterranean mountains
subsp. communis var. nipponica E.H.Wilson – Japan
subsp. alpina Čelak. – alpine juniper. Usually a prostrate ground-hugging
shrub; leaves short, 3–8 mm; cones often larger, 7–12 mm, usually longer than the
leaves; found in subarctic areas and high altitude alpine zones in temperate
areas. subsp. alpina var. alpina – Greenland,
Europe and Asia subsp. alpina var. megistocarpa Fernald
& H.St.John – Eastern Canada subsp. alpina var. jackii Rehder –
Western North America Some botanists treat subsp. alpina at
the lower rank of variety, in which case the correct name is Juniperus communis
var. saxatilis Pallas, though the name Juniperus communis var. montana is also
occasionally cited; others, primarily in eastern Europe and Russia, sometimes
treat it as a distinct species J. sibirica Burgsd..
Juniperus communis is one of Ireland's longest established plants.
Uses = Cultivation=
Juniperus communis is cultivated in the horticulture trade and used as an
evergreen ornamental shrub in gardens. The following cultivars have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
'Hibernica' 'Hornibrookii'
'Repanda' = Crafts=
It is too small to have any general lumber usage. In Scandinavia, however,
juniper wood is used for making containers for storing small quantities
of dairy products such as butter and cheese, and also for making wooden
butter knives. It was also frequently used for trenails in wooden shipbuilding
by shipwrights for its tough properties. In Estonia juniper wood is valued for
its long lasting and pleasant aroma, very decorative natural structure of
wood as well as good physical properties of wood due to slow growth rate of
juniper and resulting dense and strong wood. Various decorative items are
common in most Estonian handicraft shops and households.
According to the old tradition, on Easter Monday Kashubian boys chase girls
whipping their legs gently with juniper twigs. This is to bring good fortune in
love to the chased girls. = Culinary=
Its astringent blue-black seed cones, commonly known as "juniper berries", are
too bitter to eat raw and are usually sold dried and used to flavour meats,
sauces, and stuffings. They are generally crushed before use to release
their flavour. Since juniper berries have a strong taste, they should be used
sparingly. They are generally used to enhance meat with a strong flavour, such
as game, including game birds, or tongue.
The cones are used to flavour certain beers and gin. In Finland, juniper is
used as a key ingredient in making sahti, a traditional Finnish ale. Also
the Slovak alcoholic beverage Borovička and Dutch Genever are flavoured with
juniper berry or its extract. Juniper is used in the traditional
farmhouse ales of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. In Norway,
the beer is brewed with juniper infusion instead of water, while in the other
countries the juniper twigs are mainly used in the mash, as filters to prevent
the crushed malts from clogging the outlet of the mashing tun.
= Traditional medicine= Juniper berries have long been used as
medicine by many cultures including the Navajo people. Western American tribes
combined the berries of Juniperus communis with Berberis root bark in a
herbal tea. Native Americans also used juniper berries as a female
contraceptive. Gallery
References Further reading
Conifer Specialist Group. Juniperus communis. 2006. IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May
2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of
least concern External links
USDA: Juniperus communis Jepson Manual Treatment - Juniperus
communis Juniperus communis - Photo Gallery