Juniper
Juniperus communis
An unusual shrub found in rocky areas of Northern Ireland and in the West of Ireland, especially on the Burren and in West Donegal. One of our few native evergreens, Juniper is generally found on limestone. It will thrive in other soils and could be introduced to areas outside its natural distribution, however, this may not be considered desirable. In good conditions it may grow to be small tree size.
Like holly, juniper is evergreen and bears flowers of different sexes on different plants. The bushes are small and usually low growing, the fruit black, and it can be grown from seed. The berries are used commercially to flavour gin.
Propagation
Juniper will grow froth berries but is easily grown from cuttings. Potted plants are available from Ulster Native Trees.
