The Acebuches de El Rocio are a remnant of an ancient Mediterranean forest that once dominated the landscape of Spain’s Doñana Natural Park. Despite their common perception as ‘just’ wild olive trees, acebuches have a rich history, as does the town of El Rocio, which receives a million pilgrims in a single week each year to its famous church.
All posts filed under “Spain”
The Pinsapos of Sierra Bermeja – A Refuge for the Rare Fir Trees
Pinsapos, or Spanish fir trees, are only found in a few places on Earth. One of the largest pinsapo forests is in Spain’s Sierra Bermeja.
Portugal’s Prize Cork Oak – The Whistler Tree
Cork is a versatile material can be harvested many times throughout a tree’s lifetime, but one particular tree in Portugal is so large that it produced more cork in a single harvest than most others in their entire life cycles.
Postcard Post: The Yew of Aginalde
The Yew of Aginalde is located high in the mountains of the Gorbeia Natural Park in Spain’s Basque Country. Although they grow naturally in the area, there aren’t many yew trees left.
The Holy Chestnut Tree of Istan
As fall begins in Malaga, Spain, the smell of roasted sweet chestnuts fills the pedestrian streets of the city center. In the mountains above the small town of Istan, the ‘Holy Chestnut’ has grown for a thousand years.
The Mother Tree – El Pinsapo de las Escaleretas
High in the mountains of Sierra de las Nieves natural park in the South of Spain, one Spanish fir tree (abies pinsapo) towers above its kin.
The Bear and the Strawberry Tree – the Story of the Symbol of Madrid
At the east end of Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol there is a tribute to another famous symbol of the city – the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree.
The Oaks of Galveston – a Link between the New World and Old
Although not native to the island, oak trees have become the signature tree of Galveston. The trees have been through a lot of changes in their lifetimes, and are now halfway across the world being transformed into a living history museum.
The Millennial Olive of Arroyo Carnicero – The history of olive cultivation in Spain
In one of thousands of olive groves that cover the lands of Andalusia, the Millennial Olive of Arroyo Carnicero stands out as one of the oldest.