Juniper berry Juniper berry A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially "Juniperus communis", are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries may be the only spice derived from conifers. All juniper species grow berries, but some are considered too bitter to eat. In addition to "J. communis", other edible species include "Juniperus drupacea", "Juniperus phoenicea",
Apodytes dimidiata open, this evergreen species grows as a tall shrub or small tree of about 5 m in height.However, in a more shady environment, s uch as deep afro-montane forest, it can reach a height of over 20 meters. Its dense, shiny foliage is bright-green and it has smooth, gray bark.It frequently produc es masses of tiny, white, bisexual blossoms which have a sweet fragrance. These are followed by strangely curved, black and scarlet berries. In South Africa this is officially a protected tree. This is a very difficult tree to identify at first. In particular, it is often confused with