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Juniper berries: methods of application and recipes based on them. Juniper benefit and harm where and how to plant near the house Juniper how to distinguish poisonous from

Of all the junipers, the Cossack is considered the most poisonous. But at the same time, it is one of the most spectacular shrubs among all types of juniper and one of the most unpretentious. Everything in it is poisonous - stems, foliage and berries, but this did not affect its popularity in Russia at all. It’s just that when growing conifers, simple safety rules must be observed.

Juniper Cossack (Juniperus sabina) - description

In Russia, it is found in the mountains of the Caucasus, Crimea, the southern Urals, Kazakhstan and Altai, in Siberia.
This creeping shrub, semi-creeping forms are often found, which rise above the ground to a height of 1-1.5 meters. It grows rapidly in width, as the shoots in contact with the ground take root well on their own and form extensive dense thickets.
Although growing very slowly, for example, in the Moscow region for 1 year of life adds only 6-8 cm.
Trunks dressed in red-brown bark with exfoliating scales.

On young plants needles needle-shaped with a pointed tip. Their length is 4-6 mm. The upper side of the needles is bluish-green and soft with a distinct vein in the middle.
In matured individuals, the needles are scaly, hard. If you rub a few needles in the palm of your hand, the sharp smell that appears will not allow you to confuse the species with other junipers.

Bloom comes in April-May.
Berries very small and almost spherical, 5-10 mm in size. They are like brown-black beads with a bluish bloom, scattered in blue-green coniferous “wool”. It is very easy to distinguish them from the edible common juniper berries. Inside the berry of the Cossack species there are only two seeds, while the common juniper has three.

Juniper Cossack tolerates winter cooling well. It is tolerant of drought and the harsh conditions of the city - smoke and gases. He loves sunny places and is not at all picky about the composition of the soil.
Only young plants in the period of active growth require regular watering. Mature plants are not demanding on moisture.
Needs feeding in early spring. On very fertile soils, it may lose its typical crown shape.
For the winter, shelters will be required if the bush is tall and large. And then this is only necessary so that the branches do not break from the snow, especially in spring, when it swells with moisture.
Pruning is painless.

Juniper berries and oil are toxic!

Ephedra shoots are endowed with essential oil - sabinol. Do not forget about the toxicity of the plant.

Even in ancient times, one of the founders of botany, Dioscorides, mentions the conifer. Interestingly, the sabinol oil contained in the branches and cones of the plant has an abortive effect.

There is a tradition that the species got its name from the name (Sabina) of the riotous woman who discovered this property. In some countries, there is even a ban on planting the species in public places.

Cossack juniper berries also cause severe uterine bleeding. In case of poisoning with berries, a spasm can occur, and even paralysis. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to eat them, unlike ordinary juniper berries, which are used in the preparation of dishes and drinks.

Place on the site

The plant is great for hedges.
Will become addition to an arsenal of plants of a stony garden.
Crowded group plantings can be placed on a spacious green lawn.
Coniferous bushes are not only sources of extraordinary beauty, but also a real storehouse of benefits for the site. The drooping branches take root well and form, as it were, a reinforcing mesh for the soil layers. If planted on slopes or near groundwater, the roots of the plants will perfectly strengthen the soil, which will prevent erosion.
From plants, you can create wide borders along paths and paths.

No matter how beautiful it is, if small children grow up in the house, it is better to pick it up. Because of its berries and stems, Cossack juniper has been included in the group of 15 most toxic garden plants. And among the huge selection of juniper species, you can always find one that is perfect for you.

Juniper is a plant that can continue to grow for several thousand years. Its berries and needles have a number of useful and valuable properties that have been used in folk medicine and home sanitation since ancient times. In many nations, this plant is considered a symbol of longevity and eternal youth.

Juniper belongs to the genus of evergreen shrubs or trees of the Cypress family. The territory of its growth is the forest regions of Russia, North Africa, the temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere and tropical regions of Asia. Juniper can adapt to almost any weather conditions and is frost resistant. Shrubs reach three meters in height. Their bark is brown, and the shoots are reddish.

Juniper leaves are 1.5 mm long and 7 mm wide. Because of their pointed shape and prickly tip, they resemble needles. They are located in a circle.

Upon reaching the age of three, peculiar cone berries appear on the juniper. In male trees, they have a yellowish color, while in female trees they are black-blue with a characteristic bluish bloom. Juniper branches are harvested in spring, and berries in autumn.

Features of the collection of leaves and berries of juniper:

due to the presence of numerous thorny leaves, it is difficult to manually pick juniper berries, so a fabric or other material is spread under the tree, and then the fruits are discarded by shaking the bush;
berries appear on the juniper only once every three or four years, and the process of their ripening lasts about two years;
juniper berries and branches should be dried only in a natural way;
juniper branches can be harvested in spring or autumn (shoots of any size are suitable for drying, but it is better to use no more than a few centimeters).

Herbaceous plant or not?

Juniper is not considered a herbaceous plant. It belongs to a variety of shrubs or trees. It is a dioecious plant with evergreen needles. The root system of this type of shrub is pivotal, sometimes with more developed lateral roots. The leaves are gray or green in color, but some ornamental varieties are distinguished by yellow needles. The color of the leaves can change several times a year under the influence of weather conditions or lighting conditions.

Poisonous or not?

Common juniper is not among the poisonous plants, but Cossack contains poison. The appearance of such plants is different. In the first case, the leaves will be sharp, and resemble needles, in the second, they will be flatter. Cossack juniper has a more pungent odor. The berries and color of the bark are the same in both varieties. Both Ordinary and Cossack varieties have medicinal properties.

Useful properties for men and women

Juniper berries and leaves contain many useful substances, due to which the plant has been widely used for medical purposes since ancient times. On their basis, decoctions, tinctures, ointments and other means are made for the prevention and normalization of the performance of the internal systems of the body.

The medicinal properties of juniper berries are considered to be the following factors:

Chemical composition

Juniper contains many useful substances, including vitamin C in large quantities. The composition of the bark, needles and berries of the plant differs only in the concentration of components. The leaves contain a large amount of ascorbic acid. The bark is distinguished by a high content of essential oils, tannins and resins. Berries are champions in the content and concentration of useful micro and macro elements.

The composition of juniper berries includes the following components:

manganese;
copper;
aluminum;
iron;
monoterpenes;
tannins;
essential oil;
wax;
organic acids;
resins;
Sahara.

Indications for use

Numerous pathologies are among the indications for the use of juniper for medicinal purposes. Decoctions and infusions from berries, bark or needles can be used as a preventive measure.

The healing properties of juniper have been known since ancient times, so the shrub is classified as a medicinal plant, the properties of which are recognized not only in alternative, but also in traditional medicine.

Indications for the use of juniper are the following conditions:

bladder disease;
dysfunction of the respiratory system;
internal inflammatory processes;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (with the exception of chronic forms);
pathological processes in the pancreas;
dental diseases;
pulmonary tuberculosis;
swelling;
radiculitis;
joint diseases;
muscle pain;
tendency to diarrhea;
stones in the kidneys.

Is there any harm and contraindications?

Juniper has not only useful, but also dangerous properties. With the uncontrolled use of funds based on it, there may be a risk of developing serious abnormalities in the performance of the kidneys or internal bleeding. It is especially not recommended to use juniper for expectant mothers. Some components of this plant can cause miscarriage.

Contraindications for the use of juniper are the following conditions:

During pregnancy, juniper should not be used for medicinal purposes. The period of gestation is one of the contraindications for the use of such a folk remedy. Some components of the composition of juniper contribute to uterine contraction. At any stage of pregnancy, such stimulation is dangerous and can cause premature birth.

Application in traditional medicine

Juniper berries, bark and leaves are used in folk medicine. Due to the high concentration of nutrients, cones are often mentioned in recipes. Decoctions and infusions from them can speed up the process of recovery of numerous diseases and strengthen the protective functions of the body. Adults can use such folk remedies for prophylactic purposes, but for children it is better not to use them.

Examples of folk remedies based on juniper:

remedy for neuroses(Pour 200 g of dry berries with a liter of water, boil the workpiece for thirty minutes, strain the broth and add to the bath when bathing, repeat the procedures regularly, a similar method is used to eliminate allergic itching of the skin);
cholagogue(Pour 10 g of crushed needles or juniper berries with a glass of boiling water and insist for twenty minutes, strain the infusion and take half a glass twice a day before eating);
with pharyngitis(Pour 10 g of crushed fruits with a glass of boiling water, insist and strain, use the infusion to gargle several times a day, a similar remedy is used to treat dental diseases, rinse the mouth with the infusion);
to normalize blood composition(for one month, you need to chew fresh juniper berries, on the first day - one berry, then the dosage is increased daily by one unit, after the fifteenth day - reduced by one unit);
broad spectrum agent(shredded juniper shoots and needles should be filled in a dark glass container, filled with alcohol or vodka, left in a dark place for three months, the resulting raw material can be used for compresses, preparation of inhalation or rinses, as well as any external use) .

How is it used in cosmetology?

Juniper contains essential oils and tannins, as well as other useful components that have a beneficial effect not only on body functions, but also on the condition of the skin.

This property has led to the widespread use of berries, bark and needles of this plant in cosmetology. For anti-aging and wellness treatments, juniper-based essential oil is ideal.

The action of juniper on the skin and hair is in the following properties:

getting rid of acne;
elimination of any inflammatory processes on the skin;
acceleration of the treatment of dermatological diseases;
effect of skin rejuvenation and prevention of premature aging;
elimination of puffiness on the face;
acceleration of the process of blood circulation in the cells of the epidermis;
enrichment of the skin with oxygen;
stimulation of cell regeneration;
improvement of hair structure and their improvement;
prevention of hair loss and their fragility;
normalization of the sebaceous glands.

People have long used the beneficial properties of juniper. Our ancestors treated them with many diseases, but modern man knows little about this amazing plant..

So what is this plant and what benefits can it bring to a person?

A little about juniper

Juniper is a coniferous plant common throughout the world. This shrub is popular for its berries and wood.

This plant can be recognized by branches with short needles, cones and blue berries. Juniper has been actively used in medicine, cooking, and cosmetology for many centuries.

juniper species

There are different types of this plant and each is involved in the production of useful products based on juniper. The most popular types are:

1. Juniper "common": used in the production of spices and beer. Also, it is used in medicine.

2. Juniper "Mexican": used in the production of wood and essential oils.

3. Juniper "prickly": used as an ornamental plant, and also widely used in cosmetology.

Useful properties of juniper

Juniper is one of the few plants that has a huge range of useful properties. This plant is famous for the following beneficial properties:

1. Diuretic action

2. Biliary action

3. Expectorant action

4. Stimulation of the secretion of gastric juice

5. Stimulation of intestinal peristalsis

6. Disinfection action

7. Stimulation of the secretion of bronchial glands

8. Analgesic effect on external injuries

The first and main property of juniper is its antiseptic action. This plant is used as a diuretic, as well as to remove bile from the gallbladder.

Juniper berries do an excellent job with cholelithiasis, cystitis, and various types of edema. It is not unknown about the positive effect of juniper on digestion and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Moreover, juniper is famous for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. It is excellent for acute respiratory and viral diseases, and is also a good sedative.

Adherents of traditional medicine claim that if you rub the decoction into the scalp, you can get rid of hair loss.

Also, with the help of this plant, they get rid of warts and change the composition of the blood.

Ways to use juniper

It is clear that juniper is very useful. But how to use all the beneficial properties of this plant? The most common uses are:

Fruit infusion

Decoctions, juices

A decoction of branches

Crushed fruits

juniper oil

Juniper infusion is perfect for correcting digestion. An infusion from the fruits of this plant has a powerful diuretic effect, and due to its antiseptic effect, juniper removes bile from the body and has an expectorant effect.

Decoctions or juices based on juniper berries or cones are used as diuretics. In the juice from the fruits of the plant, you need to add honey in proportions of 1: 1 and take a tablespoon in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Juniper bath has a sedative effect on the nervous system, relieves stress and tension, corrects the emotional background. Also, a bath based on juniper fruit helps with rheumatism. In order to prepare a soothing bath, you need to boil some juniper fruits for half an hour. Pour the result into the bath. The duration of the procedure should be no more than 20 minutes.

Decoctions of juniper twigs have long been used to combat hair loss. To prepare such a remedy, you should mix juniper branches with birch leaves. Boil the ingredients in 3 liters of water for about 5 minutes. After the decoction has been infused for an hour, you can wash your hair with it. After the procedure, be sure to rinse your hair in warm clean water.

To get rid of warts, it is necessary to grind juniper fruits into dust and mix in equal proportions with olive oil. After, you should place the resulting mixture in a closed container and hold in a water bath for an hour. Further, the result must be filtered through gauze and applied to the warts before going to bed, be sure to seal them with a plaster.

Juniper oil has a wide range of health benefits. It is used for inhalation, massage, compresses, baths. It is also taken orally and added to cosmetics. Juniper oil has a calming effect, relieves inflammation and disinfects.

What harm juniper can cause to human health

It should be noted that juniper is by no means a universal remedy. Uncontrolled consumption and use of the fruits of this plant can harm human health.

The first thing to mention is that juniper berries are not edible, and the fruits are toxic. "Cossack" juniper, moreover, is poisonous and its use can lead to severe intoxication of the body and even death.

Contraindications: in what cases can juniper be harmful

Any useful tool is not suitable for everyone. In order not to overshadow your impressions of using juniper, you must consider contraindications.

Do not exclude the presence of individual intolerance to this plant.

Do not use juniper-based products in the acute stages of the following diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

Gastritis

Duodenitis

stomach ulcer

Duodenal ulcer

Also, it is necessary to exclude the use of juniper in violation of the kidneys, genitourinary system and hypertension.

It is important to bear in mind that children under the age of 18 are strictly forbidden to use juniper for the prevention or treatment of diseases.

Juniper overdose: how not to harm yourself?

Juniper-based funds should be strictly controlled. Misuse, excessive amounts, long-term use can all cause an overdose. Symptoms of juniper overdose are as follows:

Allergic reaction

Changes in behavior

Cardiopalmus

Visual and auditory hallucinations

Swelling of the legs, arms and joints

Muscle spasms and cramps

Rupture of elastic kidney tissue

Lack of urination

In order not to harm your body, you should follow the recipe for decoctions, do not consume the fruits of the plant in an increased amount and do not take juniper-based products for more than 2 months.

Juniper is a plant that has a lot of useful properties. Means based on it can be taken both for the prevention of a huge number of diseases, and as an additional treatment. But we should not forget that this plant can be toxic and poisonous, so the use of juniper must be taken under special control, and all contraindications for its use should be taken into account.

Junipers - these prickly and odorous inhabitants of forests and mountains, deservedly attract the attention of people. Perhaps there is no more thoughtful and mysterious inhabitant in our forests than juniper...

The diversity of the world of junipers.

There are 71 species of junipers on the globe. Therefore, for each garden, there will surely be a suitable one in terms of texture, color and shape.

The juniper genus belongs to the cypress family. And at the word cypress, you immediately imagine a tree, slender and of great height! But this characteristic does not always apply to junipers. Their height ranges from 20 cm to 20 meters. Moreover, different varieties of the same species can be both tree-like and bushy, up to ground cover.

There are very conflicting data on the life expectancy of junipers - from six hundred and maximum up to three thousand years! In any case, if you plant this plant, more than one generation will be able to admire its beauty. In every garden you can find a place for this undemanding plant. Sometimes it is even grown as a bonsai.

The plant lends itself well to pruning and shaping. Therefore, it is becoming more and more widespread in landscape design. They usually cut off those plants that are planted in the form of a hedge, the rest are rarely formed, and usually only diseased and dry branches are removed. Some species are also good in single plantings, for example, in flower beds or on alpine slides.

General growing conditions.

Attracts juniper and its unpretentiousness. Can grow on rocky, sandy and clay soils, drought-resistant, frost-resistant (with rare exceptions). Usually only very young plants need shelter. But of course, if you want a beautiful and healthy plant, it's best to provide some preference for your prickly pal.

For all its undemanding nature, juniper prefers nutritious soils. Better sandy. With a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction (ph 6.5 - 7.5). If you plant a plant in loamy soil, then you need to make drainage from stones and broken bricks to protect the plant from getting wet.

Junipers prefer to grow in the sun, while they do not like stagnant air, they can suffer from fungal diseases. Penumbra can withstand only virgin and common junipers. If you water the plant, it is better rarely, but plentifully, and then in a dry summer. But usually in the middle lane, and even more so to the north, they do not need watering.

Do you want to make the juniper nice? Then remember the secret - he loves sprinkling watering very much. When dust is washed off its branches, and it begins to play with all its colors. And it happens to be green, blue, gray, lemon and even variegated ... Such watering is best done in the evening, three, four times a month.

The benefits of juniper in the garden.

Surely you have noticed what a wonderful and strong aroma these plants emit. A juniper grove with an area of one hectare can cleanse the atmosphere of a large city from microbes and pathogens, evaporating up to 30 kg of phytoncides per day. Well, how not to plant such an actively useful tree on your site?

When choosing varieties for the garden, it is worth paying attention, but the fact that there are poisonous species of junipers. For those with small children, it may be best to refrain from planting these species. Junipers Cossack and medium are highly poisonous. However, even the ordinary "forest" juniper has poisonous wood, so if you wish, you can poison yourself with any juniper.

When determining the planting site, you need to choose it at a distance from the orchard, since junipers have common diseases with fruit trees - apple trees, pears ... Cossack juniper tolerates and perceives pear rust, juniper is average, and possibly Chinese. The rust of an apple tree can be spread by common juniper, virginian, horizontal, rocky ...

Boarding and transfer.

In our gardens, plants are usually planted three to four years old. A hole for the plant must be dug twice the size of the root system. On sandy loams, it is better to mix the soil in half with peat, and on loams, to two parts of clay, add one part of sand and peat, not forgetting about drainage on heavy soils. Peat should not be sour, it is better to add a glass or two of ash to a bucket of peat. You can also add a glass of universal complex fertilizer when planting. But it’s better to be careful with organic matter - excess organic matter will only harm and contribute to diseases.

An earthen lump is not buried during planting. On the contrary, it is better to plant it so that it protrudes slightly. It will loosen up a bit over time.

The distance between plantings is determined based on the size of an adult plant. The sizes of some creeping and creeping shrubs reach a width of four and even six meters.

Plantings are best mulched to retain moisture and reason with fast-growing weeds.

Types of junipers.

We will not list all types of juniper, but some of them are worth getting to know better.

Red cedar.

Virginian juniper, or virginian (lat. Juniperus virginiana), a native of North America, Virginia, is considered the most resistant to adverse growing conditions. In addition, it is one of the tallest junipers. In nature, there are specimens up to 30 meters in height, and up to one and a half meters in diameter of the trunk.

Handles pruning well. The crown is conical, with drooping branches. For winter, in areas with heavy snowfalls, it is better to tie the branches with twine to the trunk. Under the weight of snow, they can break off.

Grows fast. By the age of twenty, it can reach six meters in height. In autumn, a tree decorated with blue berries looks very decorative. Juniper oil is obtained from the wood and needles of the virgin juniper. At home, it is called the pencil tree. Wood does not rot.

However, there are creeping varieties of virgin juniper, for example "Grey owl", which can spread to the sides by 6 meters, rooting with the ends of the shoots touching the ground.

Virginia juniper "Grey owl" (grey owl) does not resemble a tree.

Juniper rocky.

Another of the North American species is the rocky juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). It grows wild in the mountainous regions of North America, in the form of a tree about 10 meters high, with a beautiful pyramidal crown. The color of the needles is bluish or dark green.

Rock juniper is great for planting as a hedge or alley.

Juniper ordinary.

One of the most common species of juniper is the common juniper (Juniperus communis). It occurs in the form of multi-stemmed trees 15 - 20 meters high, or shrubs from one to six meters. The crown of the common juniper can also have a variety of shapes. At present, many dwarf, ground cover, columnar and even weeping varieties and forms of this species have been bred or found in nature.

The growth rate in non-dwarf forms is usually up to 30 cm per year, in dwarf ones it is less.

The berries of this juniper are dark blue. They are widely used as a remedy for diseases of the bladder, liver, rheumatism ... The ripening period of berries is two years!

Siberian juniper.

Similar to common juniper and Siberian juniper (Juniperus sibirica). Differs in more miniature forms and variegated coloring of needles. The shape of the crown of the Siberian juniper is cushion-shaped, velvet. Decorative on alpine slides. Grows well in rocky soil.

Juniper scaly.

Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata) is a very decorative species. Bushes up to one and a half meters. Almost all varieties have blue needles. Very hard and dense. Because of the dense needles, the bushes suffer from overheating, and can get wet from waterlogging.

Even lower shrubs are in the horizontal juniper (Juniperus horizontalis). Most varieties have a creeping shape. It is used as a ground cover plant for landscaping slopes and rocky alpine hills. The tallest varieties barely reach a height of half a meter. The needles are bluish, green or gray in color. The growth rate is usually low, but in good conditions it can reach 30 cm per year. But it grows on any soil and perfectly strengthens the slopes.

Juniper horizontal "Douglasii" (Douglas) reaches 10 years 2-3 meters wide.

Juniper Dahurian.

Daurian juniper (Juniperus davurica) grows on the banks of rivers and mountain slopes of the Far East and Eastern Siberia. This is a creeping shrub, as well as a horizontal one, about half a meter high and spreading its branches up to three meters wide. Creeping branches lift their tips up. The color of the needles in the wild is bright green. But varieties with blue needles have also been bred.

Juniper Chinese.

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) grows wild in the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. It grows in trees up to 20 meters tall. With powerful roots, it takes root in crevices and cracks between rocks, holding plants for centuries, even in a hanging position. This feature is used by landscape designers, decorating rocky walls and hills with it. This very slow growing tree is often used in bonsai culture. For a year gives an increase of up to 20 cm.

Juniper Cossack.

Despite its toxicity, Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina) is widespread in landscape design. It is a shrub up to one and a half meters, or a tree from 4 to 6 meters. The width of the crown of shrub forms can reach ten meters. New varieties have been bred, with tips of yellow-white needles. It has a strong scent of pine needles. It is used as a folk remedy in the fight against moths, which really do not like this smell.

In nature, it is distributed in the Urals and in Siberia, Asia Minor, and Southeast Asia, in the Caucasus and in the Primorsky Territory. Found in the woodlands of Europe.

Juniper medium or Pfitzer.

Juniperus x media = Juniperus x pfitzeriana has a wide variety of colors and shapes. It is a hybrid of Chinese and Cossack. Differs in rapid growth, up to 50 cm per year. It mainly has creeping forms. Attractive rich green or yellow color.

Currently, almost all types of juniper have many varieties, different colors, shapes, heights. It is worth considering how to decorate your garden and home with this unpretentious and hardy plant that does not require special attention. When choosing, be sure to consider the presence of apple and pear trees in the garden so that, if possible, do not plant juniper species that infect them with rust nearby.

When we were planning our garden, we decided to plant juniper bushes - my husband really likes this plant. As usual - first we do, then we read and think. Sometimes we make mistakes. Mistakes need to be corrected and learned from.

Well, isn't that beautiful. And what a breathtaking smell is around!

Juniper V

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junipers)

Junipers (

) - the old-timers of the earth's flora, they appeared about 50 million years ago. They belong to the cypress family.

Types of junipers are very diverse. Among them there are giants up to 30 m tall and bizarre elfins, rising from the ground barely 10–15 cm.

Junipers are planted in the alleys, grown on alpine hills and in rockeries.

It goes well with conifers, heather and bulbous.

Serves as a decoration of the garden at any time of the year.

Junipers are highly shade tolerant and drought tolerant. Too flooded places are not the most favorable for him. It is quite resistant to frost and even at a temperature of -40 this representative of the flora is able to survive.

It, like many other coniferous plants, has medicinal properties, enriching the air with oxygen and other beneficial substances.

The juniper bush has a number of useful properties. The area around such a shrub is famous for its cleanliness, since juniper phytoncides can kill many microbes around. This property of juniper has been known since ancient times:

it was used to exorcise evil spirits. In some nations, he was considered a symbol of eternal life, they believed that he could fight death. The Indians of North America used juniper to treat wounds and diseases of the skin, bones and joints, placing the sick in juniper thickets, where the air was saturated with healing volatile substances.

In ancient Rus', it was believed that juniper protects against snake bites. And in Ukraine, Cossacks who drank excessively were put to sleep on juniper bushes, and in the morning the Cossack got up with a clear and clean head. It is for these properties, for its beauty, for its amazing smell, that I chose it for my garden.

But, as it turned out, juniper plantings also carry danger. Not for humans (I don’t eat it, although many parts of the juniper are poisonous). Juniper is dangerous for the garden, namely for apple, pear, and quince trees. I found out about this when yellow-orange spots appeared on the pear. As it turned out, these are not just spots, but rust - a fungal disease dangerous for stone fruits.

I would not have known further that junipers are an intermediate link in the spread of rust if my pear had not gotten sick, and if I had not asked the experts of this site about the origin of the spots on the pear in search of the truth.

Here's what I found out:

Why is juniper dangerous?

In the spring, many observed unusual orange growths on juniper bushes, and this is nothing more than a manifestation of a widespread disease - rust, which is caused by basidiomycetes of the genus Gymnosporangium.

Here it is the source of a dangerous disease.

When such orange branches appeared for the first time, I did not even think about the disease that threatens the surrounding trees. I thought that I flooded it (since he does not like excess watering), or that some kind of pest damaged his roots. And it turned out, everything is much more banal.

To protect your plantings from this disease, prevention should be carried out already in the fall.

An intermediate host plant for apple rust is common juniper, and for pear rust - Cossack and other types of juniper.

On one diseased plant, tens of billions of spores can ripen at the same time, so the spread of rust occurs at a high speed. In addition, spores of rust fungi are transported through the air over great distances - without losing viability, they can roam not only from one garden plot to another, but even from mainland to mainland, traveling up to 10,000 km. Hence the sudden outbreaks of rust diseases in areas where they are completely unprepared for them.

The development of rust is favored by windy, cool, rainy weather in the spring, when apple and pear trees become infected.

Control measures are as complex as the rust cycle. It is necessary to constantly carry out a whole range of protective measures aimed at reducing the stock of infection and the complete eradication of the disease:

1. Protection of apple and pear trees from infection from juniper by planting protective strips from tall, densely crowned trees, especially from the side of prevailing winds. Juniper should not be planted in the protective strips of the garden.

2. Branches affected by rust in the spring must be cut out and burned immediately.

3. In autumn, collect and burn all the fallen leaves of pears, apple trees, quince, as well as growths with obvious signs of rust damage. After leaf fall, plentifully treat the trees with a solution of urea (700 g per 10 liters of water).

4. To improve the health of the pear and apple tree, before bud break, severely affected shoots and skeletal branches are cut off, respectively, 5-10 cm below the lesion; on diseased shoots, wounds are cleaned to healthy wood and disinfected with a 5% solution of copper sulphate, and then covered with garden pitch. In order for wounds to heal better and faster, they are treated with heteroauxin (0.5 g per 10 l of water) before smearing with garden pitch.

5. For the treatment of fruit trees with rust, a series of fungicide sprays is carried out. The first treatment should be carried out before the basidiospores hit the leaves - before flowering. The second immediately after flowering, during the period of mass dispersion of spores. After 12-14 days, the third treatment is carried out.

It should be noted that when carrying out chemical treatments against scab, there is no need for additional spraying against rust.

It is very difficult to deal with rust, therefore, even at the planting planning stage, it is necessary to foresee the possible consequences of the proximity of pome crops to junipers, since these plants are not recommended to be placed next to each other.

Now I know about it (and I am aware, it means I am armed), I will fight. I would like to keep juniper bushes, and, of course, apple trees with pears.

So think for yourself, decide for yourself whether to plant junipers in your garden. Although, judging by the data, rust spores are able to travel long distances, and there is no guarantee that they will not be carried by the wind from a neighbor or neighbor's neighbor.

I hope that this article will be useful to readers of the site 7 dach.ru.

Apple, pear, cherry, plum, gooseberry, currant, raspberry, strawberry have been known in the list of horticultural crops for hundreds of years.

Since the second half of the 20th century, sea buckthorn, actinidia, honeysuckle, Chinese lemongrass, chokeberry aronia and grapes have been added to these traditional plants in our gardens - now he has mastered the Moscow region and has taken root near St. Petersburg.

Immigrants from the wild, unthinkable for the former gardens, also came from the forest to the dachas: large-fruited cranberries, blueberries and blueberries (garden forms) and even common juniper. This forest cypress conquers gardeners with evergreen beauty, combining fluffy tenderness, unexpected causticity and proud asceticism.

And its berries are extraordinary. These are juicy "cones" that ripen within two to three years. Healing and tasty, they are famous for centuries thanks to gin, the favorite drink of English sailors.

Juniper is an ordinary inhabitant of primeval pine forests and spruce forests. But near large cities it is already very rare. Not for the benefit of this evergreen either a tree or a shrub, its decorative features and healing properties went. Many bath lovers in the summer, when preparing brooms for a steam room, try to cut juniper legs as well. Nothing that is prickly, but insert them in the middle of the beam between oak and birch branches - and you can already whip. In a hotly heated sauna on a hot shelf, such a softly steamed broom radiates the spirit of bliss, an intoxicating forest aroma.

For a hot body, the lightest pat with such a broom is a true balm. Juniper needles exude volatile resinous substances that are pleasant to our sense of smell, lungs and skin.

At the same time, the bath air cleans the nasopharynx and lungs, makes our breathing free and deep. In combination with oak and birch - and they also contain a lot of useful substances - the impact of such a broom cannot be overestimated. Plenty of overlapping, the old grandfathers smile after the steam room. like happy babies. It's like being born again!

In autumn, when the suburban forests groan from the invasion of mushroom pickers, the curly juniper that grows in plain sight in a bright clearing has no way to hide from the aliens. Everyone strives to break out the nicest twig from his fluffy crown in order to decorate the basket and cover the mushrooms.

And there, the villagers are causing damage to juniper bushes. They cut and carry in armfuls from the forest to the estate. A well-known case: before starting to salt cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, the same mushrooms or apples, soak in a tub of rye straw. - any wooden container needs to be steamed with juniper. For what

Yes, to make it absolutely clean, to rid the casks and tubs of stagnant past smells. To become fresh, pleasant for new pickles.

How do they do it in the villages? They make a fire. A stone-cobblestone is placed on the flaming coals. They boil water and wash the tub with hot water, rub it inside with coarse-grained river sand, the so-called gruss, and rinse. Then a bunch of fresh juniper twigs is placed at the bottom and boiling water is poured into the bowl for a third of the volume.

The juniper immediately begins to exhale its forest resinous aroma. But this is not enough! The owner, using special iron tongs, takes out a red-hot cobblestone from the fire and, with all precautions, turning away from the mouth of the barrel, throws the stone into boiling water, and the hostess immediately covers the barrel with a linen.

From this hot stone, boiling water in a barrel seems to explode, but there is nowhere for it to go!

The juniper spirit hits in all directions, penetrates into pores and cracks, eats into wood riveting and gives it its healing power. When the water cools down, the barrel is ready for work. In dishes processed in this way, homemade preparations turn out to be strong, tasty, unusually fragrant.

Juniper and environmental benefits

This common juniper, understandable to everyone, familiar to everyone, is far from being known to everyone by its “legitimate” botanical name. How many times it happened - I asked the indigenous inhabitants of the northern taiga, where juniper grows nearby. They shrug: we don't know him! You begin to explain, and then comes the clarification. Hey, it's Veres! Over there, in a white forest, on a sandy hill, as much as you want.

Juniper is known to hunters under the name "grouse berry". Probably because black grouse and capercaillie love to peck at its black and blue sweet berries, which fall from ripeness into forest moss.

Right there, under the thick juniper branches, forest hens arrange their nests, incubate their eggs and hatch their chicks. This occupation is long and dangerous, because foxes, ferrets and even lynxes roam around, everyone has a keen sense of smell. But juniper knows how to keep bird secrets.

It's time to hide him and protect him. Juniper as a plant in need of protection is listed in the Red Book of Specially Protected Plants in many regions of Russia.

And in European countries - in Finland, Sweden, Norway, in Germany, in the Czech Republic - juniper is treated almost like a cult plant. It is guarded, cherished and even specially bred. Why is he so honored?

This green orderly is able, like no other, to purify the air of harmful microbes. A well-known fact: a hectare of juniper plantations emits up to 30 kg of phytoncides per day! This is enough to clear the air of pathogens in a city with a population of 100,000 inhabitants.

In the Middle Ages, in order to prevent the spread of the plague, the premises were fumigated with juniper smoke. In our time, perhaps it makes sense to use the juniper flavor in case of the threat of seasonal flu epidemics. Fortunately, inhalers and all kinds of humidifiers can be bought at the store without any problems.

But where can a person who is accustomed to take care of wildlife pick up juniper twigs for this, and even more so juniper berries, which are also of particular value?

So we came to a specific conclusion: in every dacha there should be a place for this unique plant.

juniper planting

Many times summer residents complained to me: they couldn’t get the juniper on the site. If you transplant from the forest, it will get sick and dry up, no matter how you water it, no matter what you feed it. After thinking about this problem, I understood. that there is no need to rush to transplant juniper. This conifer unusually painfully reacts both to damage to the roots and to a change of residence.

So, my friends. in the summer, when you go to the forest for mushrooms, for berries, and there will be many young, say, three-year-old junipers. - remember this place. Specially come back here with a sharp shovel, take care of as many seedlings as you need. Around each - at a distance of 20 cm from the trunk - cut the earth to a full spade bayonet. And go home. Let the bushes stay where they are. Where live. Let the wounds on their roots heal. By the end of September, we will move them to the dacha - prepare landing pits.

Juniper loves the sun, but can tolerate partial shade. The diameter of the pit is half a meter and the depth is the same. If you want a dense juniper wall to grow in the country, the bushes need to be planted every meter.

At any time of the year, single junipers on a green lawn also look great. They are especially good in early spring, surrounded by white snowdrops or in May, when tulips are blazing nearby.

And also keep in mind that in the country the juniper does not grow the same as in the forest - here it stretches up. This is a slender cypress, like a green torch!

For 10-15 years, my acquaintances junipers at different dachas near St. Petersburg stretched to a height of 5-7 m and continue to grow further. In the vicinity of Kanneljärvi, on the steep bank of a forest river, a friend showed me an old juniper about 20 m high, and a trunk diameter of 38 cm. This means that in favorable conditions the juniper grows like a full-fledged tree.

But in order for this to happen, for the baby seedling to take root one hundred percent in your dacha, you need to plant it with native soil on the roots, and be sure to follow the compass.

When you go to dig up seedlings, take not only a shovel and bags for them. but also a compass and a ribbon. And another bag for the stock of forest soil. Why a compass? To tie a ribbon to each seedling on the south side. In the country, the seedling should grow exactly like in the forest! Take seedlings with a clod of soil. The earth, cut through with a shovel in the fall, will hold on to the roots quite firmly. But still, use burlap for safety so that the soil does not crumble and the smallest roots that are friendly with the soil microflora are not lost. This is perhaps the most important thing when transplanting.

In addition, especially collect forest land in bags in order to add it to the landing pits at the dacha. It is not necessary to bury the seedlings during transplantation, let the tutelka grow in a tutelka in a new place, as in a forest. After planting, of course, water, hammer the pegs nearby so as not to accidentally damage or trample.

In the forest, act wisely, do not take too much. Here the juniper has its own gardeners. These are all the same black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse. Juniper seeds, along with fertilizers, they spray in their places of rest. Here, in a year or two, green babies will appear, who, perhaps, are destined to live for more than one hundred years. In the south, in the mountains, there are junipers that were born even before the birth of Christ. Bible Tree!

Juniper berries: admiration, benefits and threats

The beauty and health emanating from the juniper are gradually transferred to the owners of the estate.

If you are lucky, the country house settler will share his berries with you. This plant, like sea buckthorn, is dioecious. Berries give only females. But those require pollination, for this you need "muzhiks". The secret process of birth takes place in May, but it will take another two, or even three years, until rounded, black-purple, juicy cones - sweet, fragrant - ripen in the thick of green prickly twigs.

Gourmets appreciate them as an incomparable component in the manufacture of exquisite sauces and seasonings for meat. If you want to cook chicken "under the game" - use juniper sauce. Smoked meat with "juniper smoke" is a delicacy, and you can cook it in an ordinary smokehouse, if you add a sprig of juniper to it with alder shavings, preferably with ripe berries.

What are berries?

Sweet (it is believed that they are three times sweeter than apples), but their taste is sharp, tart from waxy resinous substances, from glycosides. This lovely resin helps a person fight infections - it kills pathogenic microbes and fungi, disinfects the mucous membrane of the mouth and the digestive system.

And biologically active substances contained in ripe berries neutralize poisons in the human body - they then naturally exit through the excretory system. Along the way, they have a healing effect on the kidneys, bladder and ureters, work as a diuretic.

However, do not get carried away with juniper berries, a large dose of berries can cause inflammation of the kidneys. Juniper preparations are contraindicated in nephritis. And juniper is unacceptable for pregnant women, as complications may arise, up to a miscarriage.

And most of all, juniper became famous thanks to gin. Every sea wolf at least once in his life got drunk with this strongest potion. But sailors are usually not interested in how it is prepared until they are decommissioned from the ship to land. And suddenly there is a longing - for the sea or for gin? Who knows...

At home, it is easy to cook juniper. For half a liter of good vodka - a tablespoon of ripe berries. And let it stay for at least six months. Dried berries are also good for this.

When cabbage is fermented, a pinch of berries is added: for an original taste.

Juniper: benefits

Always beware of green berries. They contain not only healing substances, but also those that are dangerous. There are cases of severe poisoning, up to convulsions, to loss of consciousness. So I do not advise anyone to pounce on this exotic.

But ripe berries in small quantities are really healing. When doctors did not have modern remedies for such skin diseases as scabies and lichen, people used a strong infusion of juniper berries on vodka. imposed

compresses on the affected area. It helped ... In healers' recipes, juniper was popular in the treatment of patients with tuberculosis, gout, dropsy, malaria, rheumatism, and stomach and intestinal ulcers.

Juice and syrup are used to prepare seasonings.

To get juice, ripe berries need to be crushed and the seeds separated. Pour the pulp with warm water and leave for 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze out the juice. Mix the extract with the liquid again, mash with a crusher and squeeze thoroughly through a dense sieve. At the same time, three glasses of water are spent on a glass of berries.

The syrup is prepared on the basis of this juice. It is boiled twice in a water bath. Stored in the refrigerator. Sugar is not needed, it is enough in berries. When meat is stewed, this syrup is added at the end of cooking.

But the easiest way is to stock up on dried berries: from 100 g of fresh berries, 40 g of dried berries are obtained. They are ground into powder. Store in a glass container with a ground stopper. Used to prepare sauces for fish or meat, as well as for medicinal purposes.

Here is the prescription INfusion based on dried juniper berries: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry berries (10-15 g) into a thermos, add 2 cups of boiling water. Insist half an hour. Strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals for colds or as a diuretic. And lotions smooth wrinkles, cleanse the skin.

ATTENTION!OndachasVlandscapedesignoftenusedCossackjuniper.Yes,Hehandsome,Buthisberriesinedible,poisonous.

Juniper: planting and care - video

How to care for juniper?

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There are a huge number of medicinal herbs. In Rus', their use was widespread for various ailments and ailments. One of such useful representatives of the world of flora is juniper. This plant is highly valued for its amazing qualities. But what are the medicinal properties and contraindications of juniper, in what way can it help or harm?

juniper herb value

The value of this herb was found out many centuries ago. In ancient times, the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and other peoples were treated with this plant, its berries and essential oils. The unique health benefits of juniper are due to the fact that the culture grows in regions where the air is clean. About 30 kg of phytoncides per day emits 1 hectare of plantings of such a plant. This figure is 6 times greater than that of coniferous trees.

Due to its valuable properties, the plant is used for the preparation of medicinal decoctions, infusions, lotions.

So, what are the medicinal properties and contraindications of juniper herb for human health? To begin with, it is worth understanding the composition of this unique culture. All the benefits of this plant and its fruits are due to the fact that they include:

valuable resins;
Sahara;
formic, acetic and malic organic acids;
copper;
essential oils;
manganese;
vitamin C;
aluminum;
iron.

Plus, the roots of the plant contain dyes and tannins, saponins, resins and several essential oils. Due to this composition, the plant can be used as an expectorant and diuretic. Often this herb is used to normalize digestion and improve appetite. See an article about growing indoor juniper.

Benefits and harms for women

The medicinal properties and contraindications of juniper for women of different ages are widely known. The cones of this plant can be used for body shaping, as the fruits perfectly eliminate swelling. These berries are also well disinfected and cleanse the stomach, along with the oral cavity. The fruits help to normalize the composition of the blood and the process of lactation in mothers who are breastfeeding babies.

But meanwhile, do not forget about the contraindications of this herbal remedy for women. During pregnancy, formulations based on such a herb and its berries are contraindicated. The thing is that the composition provokes uterine contractions and can lead to miscarriage. By the way, some doctors do not recommend taking such formulations orally and with HB.

Features of berries: benefits and harms

Special attention deserves the value of cones, which are formed on juniper. Their unique feature is that they contain a huge amount of phytoncides. These are substances that help suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Scientists know the healing properties of juniper berries, which makes them attractive in folk medicine. The thing is that decoctions and infusions obtained on the basis of these fruits have a tonic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and disinfectant effect.

Useful juniper berries have a laxative, expectorant and choleretic effect. It is almost impossible to list all the ailments and diseases that the fruits of this popular shrub can effectively deal with. They cope with gout, edema, rheumatism, malaria and inflammation of the joints. Pine berries eliminate diseases of the kidneys and bladder, including the deposition of stones and cystitis. They can be used for various skin diseases: eczema, scabies, diathesis, lichen, allergies, wet lichen, dermatitis.

They help with scurvy, inflammation of the gums, metabolic polyarthritis. The listed features are not limited to the beneficial properties and contraindications of juniper fruits, since the composition is not recommended for colitis, acute gastritis, severe hypertension, acute inflammation of the kidneys. Allergies were also found in some people, as well as individual intolerance to the berries of this shrub. So you need to be more careful with their use, not attributing your carelessness to the safety of herbal remedies.

Healing properties and features of juniper essential oil

The properties of juniper oil, which is often used in folk medicine, deserve special attention. What is good and useful this broadcast? What is included in its composition? The unique essential oil of juniper is highly valued for its rich composition, which includes:

ascorbic acid;
camphene;
borneol;
terpenes;
useful trace elements, including iron and manganese;
a wide range of organic acids;
tannins;
terpineol;
coloring substances.

That is why the tool has powerful phytoncidal properties. That is why the use of juniper oil is indicated for a variety of diseases. Ether contributes well to the activation of lymph flow and wound healing. It has diuretic, choleretic, diaphoretic, cleansing and insecticidal properties. Plus, the product has a disinfectant, antirheumatic and expectorant effect.

The unique properties of juniper essential oil are also manifested in a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

The tool normalizes its functioning by improving the functioning of the stomach and increasing the secretion of gastric juice. Plus, such an ether has a positive effect on the nervous system. The tool gently soothes, normalizes sleep, eliminates headaches.

Found the use of essential oil of juniper and in aromatherapy. Pleasant and fresh smell becomes an excellent addition for inhalation and bathing. The tool disinfects the room and sets the person in a positive way, improves mood, invigorates. Ether relieves irritation, tension, relieves stress and unreasonable fears. It brings you out of a state of apathy. In addition, the oil, which goes well with the esters of lemon, cedar, grapefruit, orange, bergamot and pine, normalizes attention, increases concentration and efficiency.

Juniper oil is very useful - reviews about it are mostly positive. After all, everything else ether is an excellent method in the fight against chronic bronchitis, colds and flu. Also read the article: Virginian juniper - a characteristic of the most popular varieties.

A plant such as juniper is very common among those who like to beautifully decorate a suburban garden plot or courtyard of a private house. This plant has a huge number of species of various heights and color shades. Juniper can be either a sprawling green shrub or creeping with branches pressed to the ground, and one of the Chinese varieties can even reach a height of several meters.

A variety of varieties and relative unpretentiousness in care allows you to choose juniper for the garden for every taste. But juniper is not only attracted by its decorative features, it also has a huge number of useful properties and features.

For example, it has been proven that juniper releases a huge amount of phytocins, which has a therapeutic effect on the body, and its berries are widely used in pharmacology and cooking, they are often added to medicines for the liver. In addition, the wood of the plant is so durable that it is often used in the manufacture of wooden souvenirs and canes. What to plant next to junipers and how to care for them, we will tell in this article.

Junipers take root well in the open, they love the sun and water and therefore need constant abundant watering. In addition, each type of plant prefers its own soil, for some it will be useful to add peat and sand, and some will need dolomite flour, so you should consult with a specialist in advance when choosing a particular variety. For example, when planting tall junipers, you need to think through the conditions for their growth in advance; transplanting can significantly damage the root system, and thereby ruin the plant.

The neighborhood of juniper with other plants.

A favorable neighborhood for junipers will be if they are next to plants that prefer the same soil, humidity and light that are similar in composition, rhododendrons and azaleas are considered suitable in this case.

For decorative purposes, juniper is suitable for low shrubs, such as honeysuckle or cotoneaster. Often, representatives of bulbous plants are planted nearby - tulips, daffodils or hyacinths will be a wonderful floral addition. But it’s better to refrain from being close to peonies or clematis, roses won’t work either, these flowers prefer a lonely planting.