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Juniperus brevifolia
Juniperus brevifolia
Family: Cupressaceae
Flowering: March
Origin: Azores
Protection Status: protected by the Bern Convention; "vulnerable" under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification.
High or small bush with a broad canopy and twisted trunk, the needle-like leaves are in compact groups. It usually occurs above 500 metres, appearing on Pico Island at 1500 metres. It is the only Azorean endemic resinous. The Juniperus brevifolia was probably one of the tree species most exploited in the past, was not only used for charcoal manufacturing as well as much employed in civil furniture, religious art and shipbuilding.