Common Juniper

From flavouring to pencils

The juniper is a small conifer with short, sharp needles that grows wild in Europe, Asia and North America. In the Netherlands it grows on nutrient-poor, sandy wind-blown soils and heathlands. The bushes grow slowly to reach a maximum of 10 meters in height. The slow growth rate results in its wood being very dense in structure, which makes it suitable for making pencils. It smells of essential oils and resins.

The female individuals of juniper form cones that are fruit-like, and resemble large black-blue berries; these are the flavouring for gin and Benedictine. The dried ‘berries’ are popular as a spice, for example in sauerkraut or wild marinades. The ‘berry’ ripens and takes three years to turn from green to a dark blue/purple colour.

Ecology and distribution

Of all known conifers the juniper has the greatest distribution, from the conifer forests of Asia to Canada. In the Netherlands it occurs on heathland and the nutrient-poor, unstable sandy soils of Drenthe, Salland and the Veluwe and particularly in the dune areas. They cannot tolerate shade. Many of the remaining Dutch juniper thickets can be found along former cattle tracks and in places where in the past high level of grazing occurred.

Threats

In 1975 the juniper became protected. There was concern for its future because it often failed to rejuvenate. Now there seems to be a happier future – in many nature reserves rejuvenation projects are seeing signs of success following the removal of the top layer of heather moorland, controlled heath fires and (temporary) high levels of grazing.