Juniper

Conifer tree in the cypress family

The juniper is a conifer tree in the cypress family. In Finland it occurs naturally in two main forms. The short dwarf juniper curved needles grows in Lapland, while the juniper with straight needles thrives elsewhere in Finland. This evergreen plant is normally bushy, but sometimes grows up to a ten metre long tree. Due to the good properties and pleasant scent of the wood, the juniper has been used a lot, for example, for making decorative objects and utility goods. The tree-like junipers are nowadays protected: it is forbidden to fell them for commercial purposes.

Stamp depicts juniper branch with berries

This stamp depicts a juniper branch with berries. The juniper berries are actually juniper cones; green when raw but blue-black when ripe, i.e. the third year after blooming.
Both birds and people like the ripe berries. They are excellent spices in game dishes and are also used in beverages like gin. In olden days, people also used the juniper berries as natural medicine for various ailments.
Postage stamp issue: Finland, 9 October 2002