# Curious about big old trees



## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

We recently visited Alicante and loved the huge, obviously ancient trees that are in a couple of spots by the front. They reminded me of Africa. This gave us hope for more of the same around the area, but in our drives north and south (as far as Guardamar) we saw none. Does anyone know why this is? I love to see trees around, especially tall ones with some age, and even more the ones that look tropical. I'm not counting palms, no shortage of those obviously! Where we are (north Costa Blanca) there are loads of pine trees and a few other species, but nothing with that sense of history. (not counting ancient olives!) Are there places in Spain, south of the central line, where there are more big, leafy trees?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

You can try looking at this map which shows remarkable trees in Spain
https://www.monumentaltrees.com/es/map/esp/

And this one
http://www.arbolessingulares.info/alacanti


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

The trees in question on the promenade and around the castle in Alicante are big old ficus trees.
Ficus macrophylla, or Moreton Bay Figs. They are an introduced species from Australia, to be honest I'm not sure if there are other places that have them.
One of them actually blew over in the big rains, wind and flooding the other week. Made me late.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

https://territorioibiza.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc_0080.jpg
This is a famous fig tree in Formentera. It's one tree with stakes used to support the branches


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## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

*Trees!*

Thanks guys!

We're also hoping to find somewhere to live that has plenty of mature trees around that aren't pine or palm.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Kikie said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> We're also hoping to find somewhere to live that has plenty of mature trees around that aren't pine or palm.


Lots of Oak (cork) and Olive in Andalucia.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Going to be a tough ask, there are plenty of Eucalyptus around practically everywhere but can be a bit interspersed. 
You might find it comes down to the individual property and what is already there.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Come to the southwest! In Cadiz province we have forests of umbrella pines, cork-oaks, pinsapo (Spanish fir), acebuche (wild olive) and many more. Nearly half the province is protected under Parque Natural status. 










And in Cadiz city there are huge "dragon trees" that have been there for centuries.


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## ExpatWannabee (Jul 6, 2011)

You can also find Moreton Bay Fig trees in both Valencia City and Seville. They are quite enormous and very impressive.


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## Kikie (Nov 7, 2008)

So, I gather that there are a few impressively big specimen trees around but not areas where there are generally plenty of mature, biggish trees other than pine/fir and palms?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Kikie said:


> So, I gather that there are a few impressively big specimen trees around but not areas where there are generally plenty of mature, biggish trees other than pine/fir and palms?


Not so, there are many forested areas with other species including birch, beech and several kinds of oak. Check out Wikipedia!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forests_of_the_Iberian_Peninsula


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Three varieties of Oak and ancient woods where I live


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> Three varieties of Oak and ancient woods where I live


And with Iberian pigs grazing on the acorns?


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

This is the cork-oak forest where I live. They still use mules to carry the cork down to the road.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> And with Iberian pigs grazing on the acorns?



Oh yes, we often have black footed Iberian pigs munching their way through the Camino. Our own goats would kill for acorns. There is also a local brew made from the acorns


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> Oh yes, we often have black footed Iberian pigs munching their way through the Camino. Our own goats would kill for acorns. There is also a local brew made from the acorns


I've not seen that, what's It like?


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> I've not seen that, what's It like?



It's ok. Very. Popular round here. One or two sufficient :tea:


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## ScotIberia (Aug 16, 2014)

Spain is a country of contrasts, like a set of mini-countries really. I don't know Alicante very well, it strikes me as very dry. In Galicia and the north west you have lots of original oak forests, but a lot of pines and eucalyptus have been mixed in, and the climate is completely different. In Castilla, the dominant tree is the "encina" or holm-oak, although you will also find cork trees, a lot of pines. 

If you go to Andalucía, you will see a lot of olive trees, especially in Jaén.

I know for a fact that the oldest olive trees in Spain are in the Maestrazgo area, which is in Castellón, above Valencia.


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## J_Manicki (Mar 30, 2017)

The climate in different parts of Spain is very unique. The pines on the beaches, the oaks in the deserts and the Birches along the Atlantic coast make the Sub-Mediterranean climate great!


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