Kìjigàdagizi
Juniper
Juniperus
Parts used medicinally
Berries, needles, inner bark, stem.
Medical Uses
Berries for urinary tract infections and digestion.
Inner bark softened used as poultice.
Tea from debarked stems for chest infections.
Harvest
Berries once they are purple-black in colour.
Climate Change Vulnerability
Unpredictable.
Factors involved
Some populations are in decline world-wide; warming climate can increase levels of nitrogen in soil and the resulting transfer of nutrients into the plant can cause over-accelerated growth that can affects seed viability.
Additional Sources
Gone with the Gin: How Climate Change is Impacting Juniper Trees in Europe
This information confirmed the hypothesis that warmer temperatures and enhanced atmospheric depositions can have a negative effect on the macronutrient concentrations in common juniper needles, and that the nutrient concentration in needles also impacts seed viability.
Critical phases in the seed development of common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) populations in northwest European lowlands are currently declining in size and number. An important cause of this decline is a lack of natural regeneration. Low seed viability seems to be one of the main bottlenecks in this process. Previous research revealed a negative relation between seed viability and both temperature and nitrogen deposition. Additionally, the seeds of common juniper have a variable ripening time, which possibly influences seed viability.