For problems with the urinary tract, it has a diuretic effect. It is also used for arthritis and rheumatism, to stimulate digestion and to dispel mucus and relieve coughs and bronchitis. It is usually taken as a tea made from the berries. However, it should not be used on a long-term regular basis as prolonged use might irritate the kidneys. Finally, one of the most important uses of juniper is hardly in the medicinal realm but certainly fulfils the definition of a herb being a plant useful to humankind.
Juniper berries are the source of the flavour of gin.
Gin as an alcoholic drink has been made since before the 17th century. Initially, it was a harmful drink but the process of redistillation has removed the harmful characteristics. Polemonium caeruleum and P. reptans are both candidates for the herb garden. The plant gets its name from the ladder-like formation of its leaves, which grow up the stem like rungs on a ladder. Both plants have lovely sky blue flowers in the spring.