Arapaho: Ceeh'ee or See3ibino'o
English: Common Juniper
Irish: Aiteal
Ojibwe: gaagaagiwaandag
Shoshone: wah·p^ee
Spanish: Enebro común
Natural history
Common juniper is a low and spreading shrub common to aspen and spruce-fir forests in Colorado from 5500 to 12,700 feet. It is also the most widespread species of juniper with varieties native throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In Colorado it can also be found above tree line alongside gnarled and wind-sculpted krummholz communities of spruce, Limber pine, and Bristlecone pine.
Its leaves are evergreen and pale whitish-green on their upper surface and often occurring in whorls of three. They are more needle-like in appearance than those of other local tree-forming juniper species but can resemble the leaves of immature Utah and Rocky Mountain juniper. Like all conifers, common juniper does not produce true fruit. What are commonly referred to as juniper “berries” are actually fleshy seed cones more closely related to those produced by pine trees and other relatives. While this species is rare around Durango as an ornamental, it can be found commonly at higher elevations.
Human history and use
The fleshy cones of European Common juniper (J. communis var. erecta) have a long history as the preferred ingredient for flavoring gin. However, the variety native to Colorado can be used to produce a similar, though reportedly inferior, product. Out of necessity, the North American variety of Common juniper was used to flavor gin made in the United States during World War II when resources from Europe were unavailable.
References:
Ackerfield, J. 2022. Flora of Colorado. Fort Worth, TX: Brit Press.
Watson F. D. and J. E. Eckenwalder. 1993. Cupressaceae, pp 399-422 in Flora of North America Editorial Committee [eds.] Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 2. Oxford University Press, New York.
Weber, W. A. and R. C. Wittman. 2012. Colorado Flora Western Slope: A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado
Wilson, T. M., E. A. Ziebarth, A. Poulson, C. Packer and R. E. Carlson. 2023. An investigation of cones (berries) of Juniperus spp. of Utahn origin as a flavoring source for gin. Journal of Agriculture, Food Science, and Biotechnology 1: 211-218.
Photo credit:
Photos by Mike Jacob.