Plant Details

Juniperus communis

Juniper

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Common names

66 names · 40 languages
EnglishYour language
  • common juniper[1]
  • dwarf juniper[1]
  • Juniper
Other languages (39)
Dutch
  • Jeneverbes[1]
French
  • genièvre[1]
  • Genévrier
  • genévrier commun[1]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Genévrier nain[1]
Arabic
  • عرعر شائع[1]
  • عرعر قزم[1]
Armenian
  • Գիհի ցածրաաճ[1]
Asturian
Belarusian
  • Ядловец звычайны[1]
Bulgarian
  • Обикновена хвойна[1]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 欧刺柏[1]
  • 欧洲刺柏[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
Croatian
  • Obična borovica[1]
Czech
  • jalovec obecný[1]
Danish
Downriver Halkomelem
  • p̓t̓ᶿune:ɬp[1]
Estonian
  • harilik kadakas[1]
Faroese
Finnish
German
  • Feuerbaum[1]
  • Gemeiner Wacholder[1]
  • Heide-Wacholder[1]
+5 more namesShow fewer names
  • Kranewittbaum[1]
  • Machandelbaum[1]
  • Reckholder[1]
  • Wacholderbaum[1]
  • Weihrauchbaum[1]
Hungarian
  • Közönséges boróka[1]
Icelandic
Irish
Italian
  • ginepro comune[1]
Japanese
  • セイヨウネズ[1]
  • 西洋杜松[1]
Korean
  • 주니퍼베리[1]
Latvian
  • Parastais kadiķis[1]
Lithuanian
  • Paprastasis kadagys[1]
Mongolian
  • Эгэл арц[1]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Jałowiec Pospolity[1]
Portuguese
  • zimbro-comum[1]
  • zimbro-rasteiro[1]
Russian
  • Можжевельник обыкновенный[1]
Serbian
Slovak
  • borievka obyčajná[1]
Slovenian
  • navadni brin[1]
Spanish
  • enebro[1]
  • enebro común[1]
  • Enebro de montaña[1]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Ginepro Nano[1]
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Ялівець звичайний[1]
Upriver Halkomelem
  • p-tth’une’yulhp[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Juniperus communis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • common juniper — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • enebro — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • dwarf juniper — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • ginebró — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Можжевельник обыкновенный — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • zimbro-rasteiro — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • zimbro-comum — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • genévrier commun — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Kataja — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • En — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • ginepro comune — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Jeneverbes — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • jalovec obecný — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • harilik kadakas — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ene — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • einer — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Paprastasis kadagys — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • kotikataja — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • 주니퍼베리 — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Genévrier nain — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • عرعر شائع — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • عرعر قزم — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Jałowiec Pospolity — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • borievka obyčajná — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • 欧洲刺柏 — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • 欧刺柏 — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • 歐刺柏 — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • genièvre — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ялівець звичайний — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ginepro Nano — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Обикновена хвойна — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Эгэл арц — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ginebre — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • vanlig baraldur — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • eini — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • einiber — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ядловец звычайны — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Nebreira — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • navadni brin — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Գիհի ցածրաաճ — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Parastais kadiķis — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Enebær — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • enebro común — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Közönséges boróka — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Aiteal — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • almindelig ene — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Enebro de montaña — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Ardıç — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • セイヨウネズ — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • 西洋杜松 — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Obična borovica — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Клека — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Kleka — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Einir — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • p̓t̓ᶿune:ɬp — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • p-tth’une’yulhp — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Gemeiner Wacholder — results[0].names[58]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Heide-Wacholder — results[0].names[59]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Machandelbaum — results[0].names[60]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Wacholderbaum — results[0].names[61]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Kranewittbaum — results[0].names[62]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Reckholder — results[0].names[63]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Weihrauchbaum — results[0].names[64]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.
  • Feuerbaum — results[0].names[65]; taxon id 58725; Juniperus communis.

General information

Scientific name: Juniperus communis
Accepted name (Kew): Juniperus communis L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Cupressaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Juniperus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Juniper
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 9.00 m
Spread: 4.00 m
Growth rate: Slow
Foliage: Evergreen

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-10
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit, Leaves, Condiment, Coffee, Tea
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Fibre, Incense, Repellent, Resin, Ground cover

Description

Fruit - raw or cooked. It is usually harvested in the fall, fully ripe and then dried. The fruit has soft, mealy, and sweet, resinous flesh. It is often used as a flavoring in dishes such as sauerkraut, fillings, vegetable pâtés, etc., and is an essential ingredient in gin. It is said that the aromatic fruit can be a substitute for pepper. Sometimes essential oil is distilled from the fruits as an aroma. The average yield is about 1%. The cones are about 4-8 mm in diameter and take 2-3 years to mature. It is important to be cautious when using the fruit due to toxicity, see the comments above. The roasted seed can serve as a substitute for coffee. Tea can be made by boiling the leaves and stems. A tea made from the berries has a spicy gin-like flavor.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/10
Harvest ends: 31/03

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1214596; name ID 377711; Juniperus L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1214395; name ID 377427; Juniperus communis L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.