What is special about juniper trees?
Practical uses of the juniper’s wood are few, and it was most commonly used to burn. This wasn’t so much for its heat, but rather for its smoke. Though burning juniper wood gives off only minimal visible smoke, this smoke is highly aromatic. In ancient times people used it for the ritual purification of temples. Juniper shrubs have needle-like leaves and grow seed cones. The outer scales of the cone are a deep blue merging on black. Gardeners refer to these as juniper berries. These berries are used in herbal medicine and give juniper the status of herb plants.In India, Juniper occurs along the Karakoram, Zanskar and Batalik Ranges in Ladakh and along the North Western Himalaya. Shukpa has low seed viability resulting into limited regeneration. The cones of Juniper are 6-7 mm in diameter, 2-3 seeds, with a blue glaucous covering (Cupressaceae Family).There are numerous varieties of juniper. Do not eat juniper unless you can positively identify the species because not all of them are safe to eat. Juniperus communis is the variety typically used for flavoring. The berries produced by Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus are toxic.Juniper is unusual in being able to grow on both acid and alkaline soils. The foliage consists of small blue-green needles which are up to 1 cm. The needles grow in alternating whorls of three on the twigs, and are prickly to the touch.Juniperus communis is a shrub or small evergreen tree, native to Europe, South Asia, and North America, and belongs to family Cupressaceae. It has been widely used as herbal medicine from ancient time.
What is a Juniper tree?
Description. Cones and leaves of Juniperus communis. Junipers vary in size and shape from tall trees, 20–40 metres (66–131 feet) tall, to columnar or low-spreading shrubs with long, trailing branches. They are evergreen with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves. They can be either monoecious or dioecious. Juniper is a long-lived evergreen conifer that thrives year after year, proving its value as a drought resistant tree. Common landscape varieties can last 30-70 years or more.A juniper standing only five feet tall may be 50 years old. Junipers typically live from 350 to 700 years, with some even passing the millennium mark. Despite their longevity, junipers rarely exceed 30 feet in height or three feet in diameter.Common juniper is the species with the widest range of historical and modern use, and the most-researched. The use of berries and leaves of this plant are well-documented and widely considered safe. There is some concern that common juniper can act as an abortifacient in large quantities.
What is the use of juniper tree in Ladakh?
This tree has immense socio-cultural and religious significance for the local communities in the Ladakh region. Juniper is also used as medicine in Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine for treating throat inflammation, spleen disorder, uterus disorder, serum in joint and stiffness of limbs etc. Now Juniperus semiglobosa. Commonly known as Shukpa is Ladakhi State tree.Local name : Shukpa Common name : Juniper Genus :Juniperus family : Cupressaceae.
What is juniper famous for?
Juniper berries are most famous for flavoring gin. In fact, they have been used this way for 300 years. The word gin is from the Dutch word for Juniper “geniver. They can be used to flavor other food – either fresh or in dried form, from game to soups. The beautiful Juniper tree gift symbolises protection and good fortune and in autumn its fragrant cones ripen to deep-purple berries.The scent of juniper itself is crisp and woody, reminiscent of a cool forest breeze weaving through towering pines. But juniper berries take this fragrance a step further, layering in subtle spiciness and bright, citrusy undertones that bring a dynamic twist to the traditional evergreen aroma.While the juniper berry gets most of the attention, the plant’s needles, bark, and wood also contribute to its scent. These parts introduce woody undertones that anchor the brightness of the berries. The result is a scent with staying power, fresh at first, then settling into a warm, forest-like aroma.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.
Do juniper trees cause allergies?
Cedar fever is an allergic reaction to pollen from mountain cedar (also known as juniper) trees. Even though it’s called cedar “fever,” most people don’t have a fever. You may experience allergy symptoms like stuffy nose, cough or sneezing when you breathe in the pollen from this species of tree. If you’re sensitized to mountain juniper trees and have asthma, tree pollen may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing.This high allergenicity has to do with the very small size and lightweight buoyancy of the pollen. Juniper allergy symptoms resemble those of other seasonal pollens and can include the following: Itchy, watery eyes. Congestion (blocked nose) or runny nose.
What are the downsides of junipers?
Like most coniferous plants, junipers contain volatile oils. These chemicals can cause a juniper to produce intense heat from over 50 feet away. We recommend removing ornamental junipers, as well as other flammable species such as cypress and arborvitae, within 30 feet of your house. Protection and Purification: Juniper has long been used in spiritual rituals to ward off negative energy. Burning its branches or berries is said to purify spaces and protect against harm, making it a powerful guardian in both the physical and spiritual realms.Side Effects Excessive applications (greater than the recommended amounts) may cause kidney irritation. People with either acute or chronic inflammation of the kidneys or kidney failure should not use juniper.Juniper berries contain chemicals that might decrease swelling. It might also have antibacterial effects and increase the need to urinate. People use juniper for cancer, diabetes, gas, indigestion, kidney stones, wound healing, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.Juniper Problems Sometimes landscape plantings simply get ‘over-mature’ and are not able to resist diseases and insects. There are few diseases that can cause damage to junipers. Cercospora needle blight, phomopsis blight, cedar apple rust, root diseases or one of several other fungal diseases can cause juniper damage.