Is juniper needles poisonous?
The berries produced by Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus are toxic. Only consume berries from juniper plants that you can positively identify. The entire juniper plant contains Savin oil which is harmful to the kidneys even in small doses. Prolonged ingestion can cause severe kidney damage.
What do you do with juniper needles?
Juniper extracts can be used medicinally or as culinary flavoring. As a medicine, it can be taken internally, inhaled, or applied topically. In Alaska, the Tanainas burn juniper needles on top of a hot wood stove to create an incense. This provides a wonderful smell, and also can aid with a cold.
Do juniper trees have needles?
Junipers vary in size and shape from tall trees, 65 to 130 feet (20 – 40 m) tall, to columnar or low spreading shrubs with long trailing branches. They are evergreen with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves.
Are juniper needles good mulch?
Those made from biodegradable materials have the additional benefit of contributing nutrients to the soil as they decompose. If you have fallen or recently felled juniper trees or shrubs (Juniperus spp.) at your disposal, their branches can be used as wood chip mulch, as can their needles.
Is Western juniper edible?
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) is found in central and eastern Oregon, and those berries are edible.
Can you inhale juniper?
Using juniper on the skin can cause irritation, burning, redness, and swelling in some people. Do not apply juniper to damaged or irritated skin. When inhaled: Juniper is POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults when inhaled appropriately as a vapor.
How do I identify a juniper?
A helpful way to perfect juniper tree identification is by looking at its cones. Juniper cones on male trees are small and either yellow or tan. The female plants produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. Northwest species berries turn blue at maturity, but some species have red berries.
Are juniper trees prickly?
Juniper species vary in size and shape, from low, spreading shrubs with trailing branches to tall trees, but they’re all evergreen conifers. The juvenile foliage of juniper shrubs is prickly, and this is an identification feature in seedlings.
Why does juniper make me itch?
Juniper pollens are unique, in that they can cause allergic reactions in those with no other environmental allergy or sensitivity. This high allergenicity has to do with the size and buoyancy of the pollen – very small and very lightweight.
How do you treat juniper bush rash?
First Aid
- Rinse skin immediately.
- Scrub under nails with a brush.
- Apply wet compresses, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to the skin to reduce itching and blistering.
- Take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (like Benadryl) to help relieve itching.
How do you identify western junipers?
Keys for identification are available (e.g., [71,89,90,91]). Western juniper has a rounded or pointed form (fig. 4). It typically grows 15 to 30 feet (4.5-9 m) tall [201] and rarely exceeds 60 feet (18.3 m) tall.
What does common juniper look like?
The common juniper’s leaves are more like scales than coniferous needles. Some common junipers have spiny needle-like leaves that grow in whorls of three: The leaves are sharp-pointed and glossy green with a broad white band on the upper side. The adult tree shape is often narrowly columnar.
Do junipers have thorns?
The needle-leaves of junipers are hard and sharp, making the juvenile foliage very prickly to handle. This can be a valuable identification feature in seedlings, as the otherwise very similar juvenile foliage of cypresses (Cupressus, Chamaecyparis) and other related genera is soft and not prickly.
Are juniper needles soft?
7. ‘Oblonga Pendula’ (J. communis): Frequently called common juniper, juniperus communis is unusual for its bright green needles that appear soft but are still sharp to the touch.