Juniperus communis - Common juniper

Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is an evergreen shrub or small tree, highly variable in habit from a low, spreading groundcover to a small tree. Its berry-like cones are used to flavor gin, sauerkraut, and stuffings.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 4¹
• Hardiness zone 5¹
• Hardiness zone 6¹
• Hardiness zone 7¹
• Hardiness zone 8¹
• Hardiness zone 9¹
• Hardiness zone 10¹

Outputs

• Human food¹

Type

• Shrub
• Tree
• Evergreen

Functions

• Ground cover¹
• Windbreak¹
• Hedge¹
• Soil stabilization¹
• Wildlife habitat¹
• Flammable²³

Footnotes

1. Juniperus communis | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. Juniperus communis, common juniper, USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): “Junipers contain high levels of volatile oils and resins, which heighten their flammability” ↩

3. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, “Wildland Urban Interface Vegetation Lists,” 2021 (https://web.archive.org/web/20250504084353/https://ccfd.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CCFD-WUI-Vegetation-Lists-2021.pdf), rates “Juniperus Spp.” genus-wide as high fire hazard ↩