Juniper - ID Three Types of Juniper, Edible and Medicinal Uses for Juniper Berries and More!

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Juniperus communis - Common Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis - Creeping Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum - Rocky Mountain Juniper

In this video, I identify three types of juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, creeping juniper, and common juniper. I describe some edible and medicinal uses for junipers and juniper berries and describe some historical uses as well.

Juniper berries stimulate urination, sweating, and mucous secretion. Juniper is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce pain related to arthritis, rheumatic conditions, and sore muscles and joints. Juniper can also stimulate urination to help flush out deposits that build up in cold joints and limbs.

For colds the berry tea can help heal the lungs because it is an expectorant. Juniper berries are also considered a blood purifier and overall system cleanser.

*Juniper can irritate the urinary tract and kidneys if used long term. Also it could result in convulsions and irritation to the digestive tract. People with kidney problems and pregnant women should avoid juniper.*

*Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!*

References

Cloutier, Edmond. Native Trees of Canada. Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationary. 1956

Johnson et al. Plants of the Western Boreal Forest & Aspen Parkland. Lone Pine Publishing and the Canadian Forest Service. 1995

Kloos, Scott. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc. 2017

Little, Elbert L. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees Western Region. Alfred A. Knopf. 2022

MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.

Parish, R.; Coupe, R.; and Lloyd, D. Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2018

Turner, N. J. Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum. 2007

Underhill, J. E. Northwestern Wild Berries.Hancock House Publishers LTD. 1989

Wiles, Briana. Mountain States Medicinal Plants. Timber Press Inc. 2018.

Zachos, Ellen. Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn't Know You Could Eat. Storey Publishing. 2013

[dondereng]

You briefly mentioned red cedar (Juniperus virgininana), Their distribution is from Canada and the eastern United States; from Nova Scotia to Ontario, across the northern Great Plains through eastern Texas, northern Florida, and then to the Atlantic coast. They have two types of foliage, when young it has needle foliage that is replaced by scale foliage as the tree matures. Dead needles persist for a long time, especially on woody twigs, and will reappear on a mature tree when it is damaged or browsed by animals as protection from further browsing (the needles are very sharply hard-pointed).

[essentialoilapothecary]

Glad I watched this. I’m flying up to Penticton from California for the holidays and I’m bringing my still with me so I can distill both juniper and birch.

[deepwaterbetta]

This is the first time I've seen real cypress in the wild. Thank you

[blueghost]

You should show us how juniper berries are used in cooking. Start your own nature cooking channel.

[crow]

So happy to see this video I have been wanting to learn how to identify juniper in the Okanagan

[DavidStewart-db]

Alot of good information thank you very much.

[RandyCampbell-fkpf]

Juniper has shown promise for future anti-cancer treatments too.
They need to isolate the compounds 1st so they can eventually patent the treatment

[OkanaganGardenerandForager]

I've looked into using juniper to help relieve achy joints and put it in a video here for anyone who's interested.

[LittlePieceOfHeaven.]

when you cook German Sauerkraut you need about 3 for flavoring and discard them when done :)

[Shereena]

There are some non edible species of juniper but I don't know what they look like and how to see the difference between the edible ones. Can you tell us please?

[soniamarshall]

Also the pollen can cause a virus on wild pear trees as it happen to my wild pear which caught an orange prickly substance on the small pears which had spread on part of the branches too. Something to check if it is a true cause the pollen caused by the berry juniper produced.

[raphlvlogs]

the common juniper is also the most widespread woody plant in the world in terms of native range they are even more widespread than grey alders and grey willows

[krisc]

I have a what I think is a juniper tree that an elderly lady gave to me before she passed. Is there any way I could send you a picture so you could identify it? Thanks

[jaygardener]

Is the cambium layer edible on the juniper

[BernardvonSchulmann]

I need to figure what to cook with juniper

[westempleman]

What is your location I am thinking your Rocky Mountain junipers Maybe juniperus maritima a newly recognized species

[rivv]

got some woodward juniper from cheyenne.

[hilaryaguilar]

Are the male juniper cones equally medicinal as the female berries?

[DigitalDuelist]

I had a guy tell me one species was poisonous to consume. Is that true or did he confuse it with oleander or something?

[kirtikalonia]

In india we found juniper in cities at very low altitude, can we eat those berries ?