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High doses of juniper cause kidney irritation, and possibly kidney damage. The herb should not be used by anyone with a kidney infection or a history of kidney impairment. Even low doses taken over long periods may cause problems. “The rule,” writes German medical herbalist Rudolph Fritz Weiss, M.D., “is never take juniper for longer than six weeks.”
Overdose symptoms include diarrhea, intestinal pain, kidney pain, protein in the urine (albuminuria), blood in the urine (hematuria), purplish urine, rapid heartbeat, and elevated blood pressure.
If juniper causes any overdose symptoms, stop using it. Up to one-third of hay fever sufferers develop allergy symptoms from exposure to juniper, according to a study in Clinical Allergy. If you have hay fever you might want to avoid this herb.
Other Cautions
Oddly enough, given its potential kidney toxicity, the Food and Drug Administration includes juniper in its list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have kidney disease and are not taking other diuretics, juniper is considered relatively safe when used cautiously for short periods of time in amounts typically recommended.
Juniper should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.
Many elderly people suffer kidney impairment. Those over 65 should consult a physician about their kidney function before taking this herb.
Plant Both Genders for Berries
The genus Juniperus contains more than 70 species of aromatic evergreens. Most are small trees, but some grow to 40 feet. The species most widely used in herbal Healing, common juniper (I. Communis) reaches 6 to 20 feet. depending on locale. Its close, tangled, spreading branches are covered with reddish brown bark, sticky gum, and pointed, Ih-inch needles. Males produce yellow flowers and females green flowers. The females also produce scaly, green, ΒΌ-inch, aromatic cones (”berries”), which turn blue-black during their two-year maturation.
If you want berries, be sure to plant both male and female junipers, or the females will not fruit. Junipers usually prefer sandy soil and full sun, but they adapt to many soil and climate conditions. Consult a nursery for advice that is specific to your locale.
Females produce immature (green) and mature (blueblack) berries simultaneously. Harvest only the mature berries in fall. Dry them in the sun. When dry, they turn a dull black. Store them in airtight containers to preserve their volatile oil.