Juniper – Juniperus communis
Patience is a must for anyone wanting to harvest the blue-black berries: it can take up to three years for them to ripen, and then the pointed, needle-like leaves make picking difficult. That is why wide cloths are placed around the juniper trees in October and the berries are beaten off. Once the round fruits have been collected, they can be processed into helpful medicines.
Flushes the urinary tract
Fields of application
The healing properties of juniper are found mainly in the fruit. The active ingredient in the berries is the essential oil, which has a diuretic effect. It is used to increase the amount of urine and thus to flush out the urinary tract. This property makes juniper a useful aid for urinary tract complaints. This is because, especially in the case of cystitis, it is important to flush the bladder well so that bacteria are washed out and cannot settle and multiply in the bladder. Juniper is also used to treat dyspeptic digestive problems, loss of appetite and flatulence. Juniper schnapps is very popular as a digestive aid. Juniper berries are also used as a spice. For rheumatic complaints, juniper can be used in liquid form or as an ointment. Externally, juniper oil is applied to relieve minor muscle and joint pain.
Botanical characteristics
The juniper bush is a native medicinal plant that can be found in many gardens as a prostrate shrub or a larger columnar bush. The needle-like leaves are rigid and pointed and come in threes or fours. The slow-growing juniper flowers from April to June with greenish-coloured inconspicuous flowers.