Juniperus communis
treeCommon juniper (Juniperus communis) is a hardy, variable evergreen - usually a low, sprawling, prickly shrub 3 to 6 ft tall, occasionally a small tree - of cold, open, rocky country, and the most widely distributed conifer in the world. Its small, fleshy, blue-black "berries" (really soft cones) take two to three years to ripen and are the aromatic spice behind gin and behind many a game dish; they are the harvested part. Tough, drought-proof, and content in poor rocky soil, it is grown for those berries and as a rugged evergreen groundcover or accent. A sensible caution: the berries are avoided in pregnancy.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 21 days
Harvest
~180 days
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
4-6 ft apart
Planting Depth
Set root ball at soil line
Soil pH
5.5-7.5
Soil Type
Poor, rocky, sharply draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 2 – 6
When to Fertilize
None needed
Fertilizer
None; thrives on poor soil
Common juniper is easy in full sun and poor, dry, rocky, sharply drained soil of almost any pH; it has excellent drought tolerance but no patience for heat, humidity, or wet feet, and is not recommended south of about zone 6. Plant in spring or fall, give it room and air, and otherwise leave it alone - it needs no feeding and little water once established. It is dioecious, so you need a female plant for berries and a male nearby to pollinate it. Growth is slow. Site it in lean, open ground where its toughness shows, and wear gloves, as the needles are sharp.
Direct sow
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Oct 26
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Cedar-apple/cedar-hawthorn rust
Junipers host this rust - keep them away from apples, hawthorns, and crabapples, and prune out the brown galls
Sap-suckers that dull and yellow the foliage; treat with horticultural oil and keep plants vigorous
Pick the spindle-shaped silk bags off by hand in winter before the eggs hatch
Harvest only the ripe berries - the soft, dusty blue-black ones, which take two to three years to mature - leaving the hard green first- and second-year berries on the bush, so at any time a plant carries both. Pick in fall, wearing gloves against the prickly needles, and dry the berries slowly until firm. A few go a long way. As a plain caution, juniper berries are avoided during pregnancy and are used as a measured spice, not in quantity.
Juniper berries are a pungent, resinous, piney spice - the defining botanical of gin and a classic seasoning for game, sauerkraut, and marinades - used a few at a time. As a sensible caution they are avoided in pregnancy and not taken in quantity. The shrub itself is a rugged, drought-proof evergreen for hard, sunny, rocky sites and a good wildlife plant.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.