Inspired by seeing the simmering Hawthorn berries last week, I wanted to turn to another berry that many people have in their yard - juniper. This evergreen bush/tree has been used for generations as a tea, tincture, smudge, and habitat for birds. Juniper berries are well-known as the primary flavor in gin, in fact it is often a legal requirement that juniper berries are the core botanical in any
liquor that wants to call itself gin. But juniper berries - which are not actually berries but rather a modified type of cone - have been used by indigenous groups for many health-promoting benfits long-before the aroma was used to flavor alcohol.
Juniper berries have acidic properties, which call attention to its role in aiding digestion, inflammation, and as a diuretic to aid unirary tract infections. Juniper berries have also shown anti-biotic and anti-microbial effects. It is important to note that there are many different species of Juniper plants, and some have been known to provide more toxic effects than others. All Junipers are members of the cedar family and therefore share many of the detoxifying properties of cedar. However, this can sometimes mean intense digestive effects that may be considered 'toxic' by some. As always with herbal medicine, procede with caution when ingesting the cones or berries of the plant. Start with a small dose and see how it feels in your body.
Juniper refers to a variety of species, native to north america, europe, north asia and japan. Common Juniper is the mostly widely grown variety, often used as a landscaping shrub or fence-line in many parts of the U.S. It's important to know that there are male and female Juniper palnts which means that not every juniper bush will produce fleshy berries for consumption. But juniper is tolerant of many soil types making it an excellent addition to the landscape. Even without berries, birds enjoy nesting in the leaves and it makes an excellent smudge budle for cleansing and protection.
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