Juniper fruits can also be used as a spice in cooking, and they are very attractive to many birds and other forms of wildlife. It is derived from Chinese juniper ( Juniperus chinensis ), a highly variable species found throughout China and Japan, whose diversity of form has led to the creation of numerous cultivars of different shapes, sizes and color variations. The berry/cones of the common juniper ( Juniperus communis) provide the flavoring for gin. It is generally the female plants that produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. Many species are dioecious, meaning that plants produce male or female parts, but not both. Most junipers offer at least some level of drought resistance, making them a good choice in more arid climates, though precautions should be taken in areas prone to wildfires. The leaves of theseĀ evergreenĀ conifers usually take the form of flattened scales in the mature plants, though they may be needle-like in juvenile plants.
Although come junipers use the work cedar in their common names, these plants are not members of the Cedrus genus. The junipers include roughly 60 different species of trees and shrubs in the Juniperus genus, within the cypress ( Cupressaceae) family of plants.