"Berries"

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other native Texas plant that incites a more intense, emotional debate regarding its ecological value, even its right to continued existence than the Ashe Juniper, aka Mountain Cedar. In the interest of full disclosure, I do not suffer from "cedar fever" allergy. I personally consider the Ashe Juniper as having a vital ecological role, but in our human altered environment, it needs to be properly managed.

That is a debate for another venue. What this post is really about are the Ashe Juniper "berries" that technically are fleshy gymnosperm cones:

As Matt Warnock Turner points out in Remarkable Plants of Texas, "… German immigrants used Ashe Juniper berries very sparingly (one or two berries to a pot) to flavor sauerkraut, sauces and stews, and current suggestions include crushing a few berries on salmon just before grilling." I have spoken with several people here in South Texas that routinely use the berries when they cook stew.

Numerous birds and small mammals relish the Ashe Juniper berries. Several species of Hairstreak butterflies and the American Snout are particularly attracted to the ripe berries. The Ashe Juniper is the larval host plant for the Juniper Hairstreak butterfly.

This set of photographs was taken along the Leon Creek Greenway, Leon Vista Connector Trail on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.