Cedro canario (Juniperus cedrus)

This tree with a thick trunk can reach up to 15-20 m, though most specimens do not exceed 8 m, and has pendulous or drooping branches. Leaves are linear (needle-shaped), flat and hard, up to 1 cm long. Flowers are tiny; fruits (galbulus or fruit of the cypress) are round, up to 1-1.2 cm in diameter, and reddish-brown when ripe. This native of the Canaries (a very similar species, J. cedrus, grows in Madeira) is present in La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Habitats are dry pine forests and high montane scrubland. Currently, most trees are found on inaccessible ridges and hillsides, from 1,000 to 2,400 m, although some specimens can flourish at lower levels, down to 400-500 m. In Madeira, it is found in high montane evergreen and heath forests, up to 1,800 m. Due to past land use, today these trees are very scarce, especially in Gran Canaria and La Gomera. However, they are cultivated on roadside verges, in gardens and parks, and replanted within their potential distribution area. A very interesting feature of this species is its connection with ravens (Corvus corax canariensis), which feed off the fruits, thus contributing to seed dispersal.