Juniper is native to northern temperate climatic regions such as Europe, North America and northern Asia. In Germany and Austria, the shrub is partially protected. The berries are imported mainly from Italy, Croatia and Albania.
Juniper in herbal medicine
In herbal medicine, one uses the ripe (!), fresh or dried berry cones, which are commonly called juniper berries (Juniperi fructus).
More rarely, the dried wood (Juniperi lignum) of the plant is also used. However, this is still used only in folk medicine as a diuretic and means of “blood purification”.
Juniper: Special features
Juniper is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to five meters tall, bearing stiff, needle-like pointed leaves. The flowers of both sexes are inconspicuous and yellowish in color. The berry-shaped fruit cones (pseudo-fruits) develop on the female plants. While they are still green in the first year after fertilization, the color changes to blue-black in the second or third year. Only then the fruits have also reached maturity.
Juniper berries and their properties
Mature juniper berries are spherical, blue-black berry cones up to ten millimeters in diameter. At the lower end there is often still a stem remnant, and at the apex you can see a small closed gap with three bumps.
Inside the cones, embedded in pulp, are three or more elongated, very hard seeds, partially fused with the berries. The smell of juniper berries is quite peculiar, spicy. Taste of juniper berries is sweet to spicy-aromatic.
