African juniper

The world’s tallest juniper once formed forests across the Ethiopian Highlands – today it survives mainly around old churches.

An evergreen conifer of the cypress family, growing to 25–40 m – the tallest member of the juniper genus. Young trees have a conical crown, older ones a broad and irregular one; the tiny, scale-like leaves press closely against the shoots, and the small, bluish berry-like cones ripen within a year. The species grows in the mountains of East Africa and in the western Arabian Peninsula. Its fragrant, durable, termite-resistant wood was prized for poles, planks and pencils.

Significance in the country

Forests of juniper and African olive once covered much of the Ethiopian Highlands; today their remnants survive largely as “church forests” surrounding the churches of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Tsid wood was used to build traditional houses and even churches.

Where it grows

In the highlands at about 1,800–3,000 m – in Amhara, Tigray and Oromia (including Menagesha Forest west of Addis Ababa and Munessa Forest in Arsi), and in church forests.

More: Wikipedia (en)