Trying to learn how to tell the difference between juniperus sabina and juniperus communis. I want to harvest them without getting poisoned, and make sourdough from the wild yeast.
Note, communis is native here, but sabina is used in landscaping.
Id take a field guide out with you while walking in your area and look for the sabinas in residential areas to compare to other junipers you find. There's a lot of varieties and they can be tricky to reliably tell apart at first. The sabinas generally have a more sprawled low to the ground growth habit and cinamony colored bark that sheds off in little flakes. They smell chemically when you crush the leaves. the leaves can be spiney or have dull scales. depends on the age. Take pictures and samples to compare when your at home and make notes on the plant it came from. I don't like to gather from a plant until I can tell what it is right away 100% of the time. I didnt trust wood nettles for awhile because it was different from the stinging nettle I was used to.
No point in crying if you havnt been trying
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