Juniper

Juniper coniferous shrubs or trees of the genus Juniperus. The berry-like fruits are often used for flavouring purposes, not least for gin, so called from the French genièvre, i.e. juniper. Hollands, or Dutch gin, used to be made entirely from the distilled juice of crushed juniper berries.

The common juniper, Juniperus communis, is found throughout Europe and N. America and in the Himalayas, growing as a scrubby bush on chalky hillsides. All parts of the plant are fragrant. The berries, which are up to 1 cm (0.4") in diameter, take three years to mature, and are at first dark green ripening to a deep purple. Specimens at various stages of development exist on the tree simultaneously.