Phoenician Juniper

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### Description

The Phoenician juniper (_Juniperus phoenicea_), also known as the red fruit juniper or sade tree, is a plant species in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is considered the natural symbol of the Canary Island of El Hierro.

### Habitat and Distribution

The Phoenician juniper occurs widely throughout the Mediterranean, including Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Greece (Aegean Sea), Italy (Sardinia, Sicily), Lebanon, Libya, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tunisia, and the Canary Islands. It thrives in dry, rocky soil, limestone outcrops, or sand dunes at elevations between 1 m and 2400 m above sea level.

### Morphology

The Phoenician juniper can grow as an evergreen shrub or tree, depending on its location. The shrub form reaches heights of 3-5 meters, while the rarer tree form can reach up to 8 meters in height, forming a dense crown with straight and strong branches that can start very deep. The trunk can reach diameters of up to 2 meters, with longitudinally cracked bark colored grayish brown to reddish brown, which detaches in scales or narrow strips from the trunk.

### Ecology

The Phoenician juniper is often associated with other plant species, including _Pinus halepensis_, _Pinus brutia_, _Quercus ilex_, _Pistacia lentiscus_, _Cistus_, _Olea europaea_, _Lavandula_, and _Artemisia herba-alba_. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with dry and hot summers.

### Characteristics

The Phoenician juniper has a flat root system that allows it to firmly anchor the tree even on rocky sites. The stem emits an aromatic smell due to resin pockets in the inner bark.