Juniper (given name) "Benny & Joon" (where the Joon character was short for Juniper), Pamela Dean's novel "Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary", and the Donovan song, "Jennifer Juniper". The Juniper tree's name is derived from the Latin word juniperus. In Latin, juniperus is combination of the word "junio," which means young, and "parere," to produce, hence youth producing, or evergreen. Ginepro (Italian for Juniper), Ginevra (Italian variant form of Juniper), and Ginny are other names that also refer to the Juniper tree. Juniper is used to flavour the alcoholic spirit gin. The traditional drink jenever and its French name "genièvre" are names for juniper.
Juniper berry 8–10 months in a few species, and about 24 months in "J. drupacea"). The mature, dark berries are usually but not exclusively used in cuisine, while gin is flavoured with fully grown but immature green berries. The flavor profile of young, green berries is dominated by pinene; as they mature this piney, resinous backdrop is joined by what Harold McGee describes as "green-fresh" and citrus notes. The outer scales of the berries are relatively flavourless, so the berries are almost always at least lightly crushed before being used as a spice. They are used both fresh and dried, but their