Is it aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs...?
JUNIPER actually coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Juniperus, of the cypress family Cupressaceae.
"Bundles of juniper berries were hung over doorways to ward off witches during medieval times."
Juniper plants thrive in a variety of environments. The junipers from Lahaul valley can be found in dry, rocky locations planted in stony soils. These plants are being rapidly used up by grazing animals and the villagers.
There are several important features of the leaves and wood of this plant that cause villagers to cut down these trees and make use of them.
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which gives it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries are among the only spices derived from conifers, along with spruce buds.
“All juniper species grow berries, but some are considered too bitter to eat. In addition to J. communis, other edible species include Juniperus drupacea,J uniperus phoenicea, Juniperus deppeana, and Juniperus californica. But the berries of some species, such as Juniperus sabina, are toxic and consumption of them is inadvisable.”
The flavour profile of young, green berries is dominated by pinene; as they mature this piney, resinous backdrop is joined by what Harold McGee describes as "green-fresh" and citrus notes.
The outer scales of the berries are relatively flavourless, so the berries are almost always at least lightly crushed before being used as a spice.
They are used both fresh and dried, but their flavour and odour are at their strongest immediately after harvest and decline during drying and storage.
HISTORY
Juniper berries, including Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus, have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs at multiple sites. J. oxycedrus is not known to grow in Egypt, and neither is Juniperus excelsa, which was found along with J. oxycedrus in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The berries imported into Egypt may have come from Greece; the Greeks record using juniper berries as a medicine long before mentioning their use in food. The Greeks used the berries in many of their Olympics events because of their belief that the berries increased physical stamina in athletes.
The Romans used juniper berries as a cheap domestically produced substitute for the expensive black pepper and long pepper imported from India. It was also used as an adulterant, as reported in Pliny the Elder's Natural History: "Pepper is adulterated with juniper berries, which have the property, to a marvellous degree, of assuming the pungency of pepper."Pliny also incorrectly asserted that black pepper grew on trees that were "very similar in appearance to our junipers".
ECOLOGY
Juniper plants thrive in a variety of environments. The junipers from Lahaul valley can be found in dry, rocky locations planted in stony soils. These plants are being rapidly used up by grazing animals and the villagers.
There are several important features of the leaves and wood of this plant that cause villagers to cut down these trees and make use of them.
Junipers are known to encompass open areas so that they have more exposure to rainfall.
Decreases in fires and a lack of livestock grazing are the two major causes of western juniper takeover.
This invasion of junipers is driving changes in the environment. For instance, the ecosystem for other species previously living in the environment and farm animals has been compromised.
When junipers increase in population, there is a decrease in woody species like mountain big sagebrush and aspen.
Among the juniper trees themselves, there is increased competition, which results in a decrease in berry production. Herbaceous cover decreases, and junipers are often mistaken for weeds.
As a result, several farmers have thinned the juniper trees or removed them completely.
However, this reduction did not result in any significant difference on wildlife survival.
Some small mammals found it advantageous to have thinner juniper trees, while cutting down the entire tree was not favorable.
Some junipers are susceptible to Gymnosporangium rust disease, and can be a serious problem for those people growing apple trees, an alternate host of the disease.
Ethnic and Herbal Use
Most species of juniper are flexible and have a high compression strength-to-weight ratio. This has made the wood a traditional choice for the construction of hunting bows among some of the Native American cultures in the Great Basin region. These bow staves are typically backed with sinew to provide tension strength that the wood may lack.
Some Indigenous peoples of the Americas use juniper in traditional medicine; for instance the Dineh, who use it for diabetes.
Local people in Lahaul Valley present juniper leaves to their deities as a folk tradition. It is also useful as a folk remedy for pains and aches, as well as epilepsy and asthma.
They are reported to collect large amounts of juniper leaves and wood for building and religious purposes.
Juniper is traditionally used in Scottish folkloric and Gaelic Polytheist saining rites, such as those performed at Hogmanay (New Year), where the smoke of burning juniper, accompanied by traditional prayers and other customary rites, is used to cleanse, bless, and protect the household and its inhabitants.
JUNIPER
ESSENTIAL OILS
Juniper berries are steam distilled to produce an essential oil that may vary from colorless to yellow or pale green. Some of its chemical components are terpenoids and aromatic compounds, such as cadinene, a sesquiterpene.
"The most common juniper used to produce essential oils is Juniperus Osteosperma."
Juniper has been used for centuries as a diuretic. Until recently, French hospital wards burned sprigs of juniper and rosemary to protect from infection.
Medical Properties:
Antiseptic
Digestive cleanser/stimulant
Purifying
Detoxifying
Increases circulation through the kidneys and promotes excretion of toxins
Promotes nerve regeneration
Essential Oil Uses:
Skin conditions (acne, eczema)
Liver problems
Urinary/bladder infections
Fluid retention
Fragrant Influence: Evokes feelings of health, love, and peace and may help to elevate one’s spiritual awareness
Extraction Method:
Steam distilled from stems and leaves (aerial parts)
Key Constituents:
Alpha-Pinene (20-40%)
Sabinene (3-18%)
Myrcene (1-6%)
Camphor (10-18%)
Limonene (3-8%)
Bornyl Acetate (12-20%)
Terpinen-4-ol (3- 8%)
ORAC: 250 µTE/100g
The Oil of NIGHT
Juniper Berry assists those who fear the dark or unknown aspects of themselves. It helps individuals to understand that those things they fear are intended to be their teachers. Instead of hiding from what they do not understand, Juniper Berry encourages individuals to learn the lesson and face their fear. These fears often live within the unexplored areas of the self.
Juniper Berry acts as a catalyst by helping individuals access and address those fears and issues which have long been avoided. Dreams contain nighttime communications. Even nightmares can reveal unresolved fears and issues.
Juniper Berry offers courage and energetic protection in the nighttime. It encourages an honest assessment of the information being communicated from within. As individuals reconcile with their fears and other hidden aspects of themselves, they experience greater wholeness.
Juniper Berry helps restore the balance between light and dark, conscious and subconscious, day and night. It acts as a guide on the path toward wholeness.
Juniper Berry teaches that there is truly nothing to fear when one acknowledges and accepts all aspects of the self.
EMOTIONS ADDRESSED: Irrational fears, recurrent nightmares, disrupted sleep, avoiding
POSITIVE PROPERTIES: Protected, peaceful dreaming, courageous, self-aware
COMPANION OILS: Black Pepper, Clary Sage, Sage, Vetiver
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