Re: Plant

[Mark Mayfield]

Hi Makinna,

In general, I don't make recommendations about what plants can or should be consumed as food by humans because it opens some issues for liability. I am happy to provide the identification and some general idea of how they have been used but know that I cannot be 100% certain of an identification without a physical sample. Even then, I would still back away from suggesting anything be used as food. With that caveat, I can see these appear to be the "berries" from a Juniper, and probably it is our native Juniperus virginiana, Eastern Redcedar. This species is often used as a substitute for the more standard Juniper berries used for many recipes, Juniperus communis. Juniper berries, in general, are used as a spice or infusion in relatively small quantities and should not be eaten in large amounts. Thus, I would caution against anything more than using them as in traditional uses as described in recipes for things like gin and as a spice for game meat or other foods. I suspect your client knows this already or wouldn't have brought them to you. 

It is also worth noting that some species of Juniper can be more toxic due to much higher concentrations of the compounds that make them appealing. If they were collected in the wild (not a landscape or a planted windbreak), in Kansas, they are likely to be Juniperus virginiana, which has been used as described above.

Best,

Mark Mayfield

Mark H. Mayfield
Division of Biology
1717 Claflin Rd. 
Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4900
785-532-2795 (voice)

Office: 304 Bushnell Hall

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From: Makinna Peterson <maki...@ksu.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:21
To: K-State Herbarium <herb...@ksu.edu>
Subject: Plant

 

Good afternoon! 

I had a constituent come in with what they believe to be an evergreen that produces these juniper berries is what they think they are . Their intention is to eat them but we wanted to be sure they were safe before doing so. I'm not entirely sure who to reach out to but wanted to start with you! I've attached pictures. 

Thank you! 

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