Phoenicean juniper
Juniperus turbinata
Family · Cupressaceae · Harmless
The juniper that does not prick: instead of needles it has scales pressed to the twig, like a miniature cypress. It holds the southern dunes and is among the slowest, oldest trees on the coast.
Dunes and sand · Scrubland · Uplands
Also known asPhoenician juniper, arâr
How to tell it
Run your hand over it: it is soft, unlike every needle juniper. Fine branches covered in overlapping scales. Round fruits, reddish brown when ripe. Wind-twisted habit on the dunes.
What it is confused with
Prickly juniper
Juniperus oxycedrus
Touch settles it in a second: Phoenicean juniper is soft and scaly, prickly juniper is needled and stabs.
Open sheet →What it is for
None to encourage. The aromatic, rot-proof wood was coveted for centuries, which is why the old juniper stands have almost vanished from the Iberian coast.
The law says
A protected species in a priority Natura 2000 habitat (dune juniper woods). Do not cut, gather, or walk off the marked paths.