Common Juniper is harvested for its berries

Common Juniper is harvested for its seed cones. The berries take three years to ripen from green to black.

Although found as far north as Scandinavia the best berries come from the Mediterranean. The pale green berries take up to three years to ripen by which time they are a blue black. It is used to flavour food, mainly meats, and spirits - especially gin.