Juniper is a sturdy, perennial shrub which on occasions grows to the size of a small, 10 m tall tree. It is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It is found end-to-end of the cool temperate northerly Hemisphere from the Arctic south mounts to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.
It is dioecious plant with male and female cones on separate plants, which are wind pollinated. The shrub is usually used in horticulture as a decorative bush. From its reddish stems to green, needle-like, pointed leaves and piquant berries the entire plant is highly fragrant.
The green, ripening to purple-black waxy berries are round, 4-12 mm diameter and commonly have three (at times six) fused shells, each with a individual seed. The male berries are yellow, 2-3 mm long, and drop shortly after casting their pollen.
Its astringent blue-black berries are too bitter to consume in the raw state and are commonly sold dehydrated and employed to flavor meats sauces and staffing. Berries are used as well to flavor spirits, especially gin. They are in general crushed prior to use to liberate their flavor. Since juniper berries have a robust taste, they should be used sparingly.
Juniper berries have been agelong used in practice of medicine by a lot of cultures. Pedanius Dioscorides, an ancient Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist as well names juniper berries, when crushed and applied on the penis or vagina prior to sexual intercourse, as a contraceptive. Juniper berries act as a potent urinary tract antiseptic if ingested and they were employed by American Indians as herbal remedy for urinary tract infections.
Western tribes mixed the berries of juniper with Berberis root bark in herbal tea to address diabetes. Clinical studies have supported the effectiveness of this treatment in insulin-dependent diabetes. Chemical compounds in these plants when mixed and ingested have been exhibited to activate insulin production in the body’s fat cells, as well as stabilize blood sugar levels. Indigenous Americans as well used juniper berries as a female contraceptive.
Juniper grows well in any well-drained limey land. It prefers hill sides and doesn’t like intense shade. It responds well to conservative doses of organic fertilizer which will advance growth. Propagation is by cuttings or seeds. Sow seeds or small plants in spring 1.5 meters apart.
It is crucial to have two plants as it is very uncommon to encounter male and female flowers developing on the same bush. Male flowers resemble green catkins, though the female flowers are cone-like. Berries are picked in autumn once they have turned black. They commence by being green in color and could take two or more years to mature fully.