Juniperus communis L.

Lvs in whorls of 3, jointed at the base, crowded, linear, loose or spreading, pungent, 6–18 mm, with a median white stripe above; cones axillary, bluish or black, 6–13 mm thick, mostly 3-seeded. Circumboreal, s. in Amer. to Pa., Wis., Minn., the Rocky Mt. states, and irregularly to S.C. and s. Ind. Nearly all of our plants belong to the var. depressa Pursh, the common Amer. phase of the sp.; decumbent but not prostrate, forming flat-topped circular patches mostly 0.5–2 m tall and several m wide; lvs spreading or ascending, mostly straight, (6)10–18 mm, the white stripe narrower than each margin; mostly in dry, rocky, or otherwise poor soil; occasional more arborescentspecimens, with a ± definite central axis, have been mistaken for the arborescent Eurasian var. communis, which has the white stripe on the lvs at least as broad as each margin. The high-northern, circumboreal var. montana Aiton reaches only the ne. margin of our range, as on the coast of N.S. and the coast and mts. of n. Me.; it is prostrate or nearly so and trailing, with oblong, abruptly short-pointed, incurved and imbricate lvs 6–10 mm, these with a broad white stripe, evidently wider than each margin (var. alpina; var. saxatilis, misapplied; J. sibirica; J. nana).

A temperate plant. It is frost hardy. It grows on alpine slopes. It will grow on chalk soils and also on acid soils. It grows between 2,400-3,500 m altitude in the southern USA. It suits hardiness zones 2-8. Arboretum Tasmania.

CAUTION: The berries are edible in small quantities but are harmful in large amounts. They are used as a flavouring for example in gin. The berries and dried and the oil distilled off. The berries are dried then cooked with food to add flavour. They are used to flavour meat. They are also made into a conserves, jams and drinks. Roasted berries are used as a coffee substitute.

Plants are grown from seed. The cones need 18 months of cold weather before seed will grow.