Color

• Color characteristic of juniper berries vary among species. Juniper berries begin as green but darken to a purple, black or red color.
  
  

Shape

• Juniper berries are round and still scale-like, although the scales are meaty and fleshy with their scale edges merged, unlike the male pollinating cones, associated with these evergreen species.
  
  

Size

• Juniper berries vary in diameter, some as small as 4 mm, just over a 1/8th of an inch, while others are 12 mm, slightly under ½ an inch.
  
  

Taste

• Juniper berries have a characteristically bitter taste and some are too bitter to eat. Juniper berries are used internally to detoxify the system and in spices in many cuisines.
  
  

Aroma

• Juniper berries have a strong, pungent odor. Some compare the aroma to a peppery or pine like scent, though the smell is not as harsh as that of the leaves and branches. Inhaled juniper berries aid in the easing of bronchial troubles.