Thuriferous juniper

Also known as Spanish Juniper, Incense Juniper

Thuriferous junipers dominate harsh continental mountain plateaus, enduring extreme summer droughts and freezing winters across Spain, France, and North Africa. These long-lived conifers produce highly resinous wood that was historically burned as aromatic incense during religious ceremonies and pest control. Female trees bear dark, berry-like seed cones that provide vital winter food for mountain birds, which in turn disperse the seeds across arid slopes.