Sabina Albar

The Albar Juniper Natural Monument is in the north of Almería province, in the far east of the Bética Mountain Range, within the Sierra de María-Los Vélez Nature Park, on a high plateau at more than 1,600 metres above sea level.

It is a unique tree, estimated to be around a thousand years old. It has a large, dark green canopy with many branches, held up by a thick, sinuous trunk with bare roots beneath. The tree's appearance makes it look even older. The tree is a remnant of the steppe forests of the Tertiary period, when there was a harsh continental climate with major oscillations of temperature and summer droughts. It is therefore seen as a faithful witness to passing history in the area.

This species grows slowly and has scale-shaped leaves to avoid water loss. It has male and female attributes, and its fruit, called galbules, ripen over two years, turning a blue-green colour. This fruit provides food for birds which, in turn, disperse the seeds. It has hard, quality wood, rich in resin and highly valued for carpentry and furniture-making. This is one of the reasons why they were felled massively at one time.