- Related Topics:
- Chinese juniper
- common juniper
- creeping juniper
- savin
- Phoenician juniper
juniper
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What is a juniper plant?
A juniper is an aromatic evergreen shrub or tree from the genus Juniperus within the cypress family, Cupressaceae. They populate various regions throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Juniper leaves can be needle-like when young, maturing into awl-shaped structures arranged in pairs or whorls of three. Some species feature small, scale-like leaves pressed closely to branchlets.
Common juniper berries add flavor to foods and alcoholic beverages, notably gin. Juniper wood is fragrant and used to make cabinets and fence posts, while eastern red cedar is popular for lining linen closets and cedar chests because it repels moths and other pests.
Some principal species include common juniper (Juniperus communis), eastern red cedar (J. virginiana), savin (J. sabina), Chinese juniper (J. chinensis), and creeping juniper (J. horizontalis).
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Where do juniper plants naturally grow?
Juniper plants, belonging to the genus Juniperus, include around 60 to 70 species of aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs. They are part of the cypress family and grow throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The common juniper (Juniperus communis) is widespread on rocky soils across this area, and many ornamental varieties have been developed. Other notable species include the eastern red cedar (J. virginiana) of eastern North America, the savin (J. sabina) of central Europe, the Chinese juniper (J. chinensis) of eastern Asia, and the creeping juniper (J. horizontalis) of eastern North America. Additionally, the wood of the incense, or Spanish, juniper (J. thurifera) found in Spain and Portugal, and the Phoenician juniper (J. phoenicea) of the Mediterranean region is sometimes burned as incense.
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What do juniper plants look like?
Juniper plants exhibit varied physical characteristics throughout their life cycle. Juvenile junipers have needle-like leaves, while mature junipers feature awl-shaped leaves arranged in pairs or whorls of three. Some species have small, scale-like leaves closely pressed to branchlets, often with an oil gland. Most species have a reddish-brown or bluish cone that is fleshy and berry-like, often with a grayish waxy covering, containing one to twelve seeds.
The bark of the western juniper is fibrous and reddish-brown to brown, peeling off in strips.
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How do juniper plants reproduce?
Juniper plants typically have male and female reproductive structures on separate plants. Pollen grains transfer from the stamens to the ovule-bearing organs, or to the ovules themselves, which is called pollination. The reddish-brown or bluish cones are fleshy and berrylike, maturing in one to three seasons and containing 1 to 12 seeds.
Seed dispersal is the movement or spread of seeds away from the parent plant. Diaspores are dispersing agents for seeds, such as wind, water, and animals.
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What are some common uses of juniper plants?
Junipers are versatile plants with a variety of uses. The berry-like cones of the common juniper are used to flavor foods and alcoholic beverages, most notably gin. Juniper berries possess a fragrant, spicy aroma and a bittersweet flavor that complements venison and can be used to season sauces, stuffings, and liqueurs.
Juniper oil, extracted from the wood and leaves of several species, is used in perfumes and medicines as a diuretic. The fragrant wood of certain juniper species is used to make fence posts, cabinets, and pencils. Eastern red cedar is especially popular for lining linen closets and cedar chests because it repels moths and other pests. Some species, such as the incense juniper and the Phoenician juniper, are burned as incense. Many species are also cultivated as ornamentals.
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juniper, (genus Juniperus), genus of about 60 to 70 species of aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. A number of species are cultivated as ornamentals and are useful for their timber.
Physical description
The juvenile leaves of a juniper are needlelike. Mature leaves are awl-shaped, spreading, and arranged in pairs or in whorls of three. Some species have small scalelike leaves, often bearing an oil gland, which are pressed closely to the rounded or four-angled branchlets. Male and female reproductive structures usually are borne on separate plants. The reddish brown or bluish cones are fleshy and berrylike and often have a grayish waxy covering. They mature in one to three seasons and contain 1 to 12 seeds, usually 3.
Galls produced by junipers as a reaction to fungal infection are known as cedar apples. This fungus, cedar apple rust, completes its life cycle on members of the apple subfamily of the flowering plant family Rosaceae, which contains numerous species of trees and shrubs commercially valuable as fruit and ornamental plants. The growth of junipers around apple orchards and plantings of related genera is thus discouraged to avoid disfigurement or loss of these important cultivated plants.
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Major species
Common juniper (Juniperus communis), a sprawling shrub, is widely distributed on rocky soils throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Many ornamental cultivars have been developed.
Another important ornamental and timber tree is the eastern red cedar (J. virginiana) of eastern North America. This species is an invader of glades, pastures, prairies, and other open grassy areas in parts of its range; thus, it is considered a troublesome weed by some botanists and land managers.
The savin (J. sabina) of central Europe, Chinese juniper (J. chinensis) of eastern Asia, and creeping juniper (J. horizontalis) of eastern North America are other popular ornamental species with many horticultural varieties.
The wood of incense, or Spanish, juniper (J. thurifera), of Spain and Portugal, and of Phoenician juniper (J. phoenicea) of the Mediterranean region sometimes is burned as incense.
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Uses
The berrylike cones of common juniper are used to flavour foods and alcoholic beverages—particularly gin, which is named after Juniperus through the French genièvre. Juniper “berries” have a fragrant spicy aroma and a slightly bittersweet flavour. Used with venison, they remove the gamey taste. They are also used to season sauces and stuffings, in pickling meats, and to flavour liqueurs and bitters.
Oil of juniper, distilled from the wood and leaves of several species, is used in perfumes and in medicines such as diuretics.
The fragrant wood of some species is made into cabinets, fence posts, and pencils. Eastern red cedar is especially common for the lining of linen closets and for cedar chests, as it repels moths and other pests.