California Juniper Harvest

Harvest Date: 9/27/2020
Botanical Name: Juniperus californica
Location: Siskiyou County, California
Elevation 3,500 ft

It's late September, and there's something about the air up here. It's a complex aroma that is part crisp mountain air, and part woods.The woody aroma is distinctively conifer, with soft citrus tones, top notes of lemon and base notes of juniper wood that is surprisingly sweet.

The juniper berries are fat and ripe with juice. Interestingly, they're not berries at all but the female seed cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance.

Juniper Berry Harvest

Harvest time is special. Gathering plants makes me feel like I am participating in a primitive activity, one that strikes a deep chord and connects me with people of the past. Wild harvesting is an ancient activity practiced by civilizations for thousands of years.

There is a tranquil yet wild energy that we try to capture in our distillation. Each harvest is a unique snapshot of that plant, in that moment in time. An imprint that is like no other.

Juniper Berry Harvest

Distilling hydrosols and essential oils using ancient techniques connects us to those who have gone before. Distilling these therapeutic, herbal waters and oils is an art that is part science and part love.

I hope that you experience the energy of these plants and transport to this special place in the shadow of Mt. Shasta, and revel in their delightful aroma.