Megan le Fey Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I am not sure if this post belongs here or on Wildlife/Nature but Gardening seems best to me. Can someone kindly tell me if the tree pictured here below is a juniper and can the berries safely and effectively be used in cooking to flavour pâte etc.? There are not many berries left now and I am not clever enough to photograph them but they are an almost electric blue with a white bloom on them and are about the size of a small pea.[IMG]http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h15/miggimeggi/IMGP0316.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h15/miggimeggi/IMGP0320.jpg[/IMG]I am pretty sure it is juniper but not certain enough to eat them without confirmation from someone more knowledgeable.Thanks very much to anyone who can help.Sorry about the dog, he is a right ham and comes running every time he sees the camera coming out.[:P][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 The leaves don't look like Juniper, they have sharp pointed needles and a very strong scent when crushed.Could be a Nootka Cypress (or similar?).Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 Thanks very much Chris. The leaves do have a very strong and very pleasant scent when I crushed some just now, a bit citrusy and something else, tho' not very resinous, but they are definitely not sharp and pointed. I will do a google on Nootka Cypress. The birds do seem to like her for shelter at night when it is cold and they seem to go to the nearby feeders and get sunflower seeds which they husk and eat in the tree. The ground below is littered with husks. The dogs lie beneath her in the summer when it is really hot. She is a nice friendly tree even if I cannot eat her berries.[:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Monterey Cypress!!![:D]Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 [quote user="chris pp"] Monterey Cypress!!![:D]Chris[/quote]Nope, sorry. Monterey Cypress has cones and mine definitely has berries (well, cones but masquerading as berries). "Juniper tree" is a difficult search because of all the references to the books and myths of the same name and then very few of the actual 'arboreal' type trees offered have pictures, however, did eventual find this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Juniper_berries_q.jpg#file. I should have thought of Wikipedia in the first place. I think that perhaps mine is one of the 67 varieties of juniper, however, I don't think I will take a chance and I will buy my juniper berries in the shop. Bang goes my hopes of distilling my own gin[6]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 [quote user="chris pp"] The leaves don't look like Juniper, they have sharp pointed needles and a very strong scent when crushed. [/quote]If the berries when crushed do not smell of neat gin then it is not a juniper. Safe and simple way to find out ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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