Atlas cedar

The majestic cedar of the Middle Atlas – wild Barbary macaques live in its forests near Ifrane and Azrou.

A stately conifer growing up to 40 m tall, with bluish-green needles gathered in clusters and barrel-shaped cones standing upright on the branches. It forms forests in the mountains at about 1,300–2,600 m, where snow falls in winter and summers are dry. Its fragrant, durable wood has been used for centuries to make the carved ceilings, doors and furniture of the medinas. The species is endangered – threatened by drought, overgrazing and illegal logging – while its silver-needled form is a popular ornamental tree in European parks.

Significance in the country

Most of the world’s Atlas cedar grows in Morocco, and the cedar forests of Ifrane and Azrou, a stronghold of the Barbary macaque, are among the country’s most recognisable landscapes. Cedarwood adorns the historic monuments of Fez and Meknes.

Where it grows

In the Middle Atlas (around Ifrane, Azrou and Khenifra), in the Rif (Talassemtane National Park near Chefchaouen) and in the eastern part of the High Atlas.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)