General Details
Dakota Name:
Haƞteṡa
Scientific Name:
Juniperus virginiana
Height:
Grows 10 - 40 feet
Flowers:
Small, cone-like on the end of short
twigs. Yellowish brown to light blueish
green. Blooms in spring.
Fruit:
Fleshy berries are pale-blue with
whitish waxy coating, 1/4 inch in
diameter. Matures in September.
Habitat:
Upland woodlands, rocky bluffs, wooded slopes, sand dunes, savannas. Dry conditions, nutrient poor soil.
Plant Characteristics
A small evergreen tree of pyramidal to round shape, with deep roots that spread widely. Leaves opposite, scale-like, in alternating pairs. Single stem with upright or spreading branches, reddish-brown bark that is thin and shreddy.
Dakota Cultural Use
The fruits and leaves were boiled together and the decoction was used for coughs. It was given to horses also as a remedy for coughs. For a head cold, twigs were burned and the smoke inhaled, the burning twigs and the head being enveloped in a blanket. Cedar boughs were put on the tipi poles to ward off lightning.