Juniper Plant Description, Culinary Uses, and Medicinal ‎Importance

Common Name: Juniper

Scientific Name: Juniper sabina. It belongs to the cypress family (Pinaceae), which is part of the order Conifers (Pinnae), a class of flowering plants (angiosperms).

Description: The genus Juniper comprises between 50 and 67 species, widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic to tropical Africa in the south, from Ziarat in Pakistan in the east to eastern Tibet in the Old World, and in the mountains of Central America.

Juniper species vary in size and shape, ranging from tall trees to columnar shrubs or short, spreading shrubs with long branches that spread in different directions. The trees or shrubs are evergreen, with needle-like and/or pinnate leaves. They may be monoecious or dioecious. The female cones are highly distinctive, with tender, fused scales forming a fleshy, drupe-like structure containing one to twelve hard-shelled, wingless seeds. In some species, the drupes are reddish-brown or orange, but are most often blue; they are frequently aromatic and can be used as a spice. Seed maturation time varies among species, ranging from 6 to 18 months after pollination. The male cones are similar to those of other cypress species, with six to twenty scales.

Two types of leaves are found in Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) and Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana): needle-like leaves on seedlings and some branches of older trees, and small, overlapping, scale-like leaves on mature plants. On fast-growing whip-like branches, the leaves are often intermediate between juvenile and mature. On mature plants, young, tender leaves are found on shaded branches, while mature leaves are found on parts fully exposed to sunlight. This is the case in common juniper (Juniperus communis) and fringed juniper (Juniperus squamata). All young leaves are needle-like, with no scales. In common juniper (Juniperus communis), the needles are joined at the base, while in fringed juniper (Juniperus squamata), the needles blend seamlessly into the stem. Juniper needles are stiff and sharp, making the young foliage very difficult to handle. This may be a valuable identifying feature in seedlings, as the young leaves, very similar to those of cypress (Cupressus), false cypress (Chamaecyparis), and other related genera, are smooth and not thorny.

Culinary Uses: The dark, aromatic, and pungent berries of the juniper tree, whether fresh, dried, ground, or whole, are used to flavor dishes such as stews, casseroles, pickles, stuffings, rabbit, venison, beef, and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake.

Medicinal Uses: Juniper leaves and berries have been used medicinally for their antiseptic, diuretic, stimulant, and carminative properties.

An infusion of juniper berries is helpful for bloating and indigestion.

A decoction of the branches is used to treat joint and muscular rheumatism. Juniper berries are used in the manufacture of many medicines, including those for treating tapeworms, abdominal and anal ailments, and asthma. A decoction of juniper wood is used to treat chronic skin diseases and is also beneficial for treating hiccups when taken as a powder dissolved in water.

A decoction of juniper berries is used for chest pains, intestinal gas, coughs, and uterine spasms.

A drink made from juniper leaves is used to treat dysuria, urinary tract stones, and edema.

A decoction of juniper is used to treat chronic skin diseases, pimples, and boils.

Juniper berries are used to treat bad breath and indigestion.

 

Harlem oil is extracted from juniper turpentine and is used to treat kidney colic.