The Juniper tree is a pretty common sight in Mallorca. To me it is one of the nicest trees on the island, but sadly, it seems somehow underrated. It is not a tree that one would normally find in a private garden; I don’t know why.

In Mallorca, as in mainland Spain and in the Canary Islands, the Juniperus communis species is the more widely spread Juniper tree. But I have seen a number of different Juniper types in Central Europe, some of which of a stunning beauty, which do not seem to grow here. In all, there seem to be some 50 different species of Juniper trees. I like the scent that emanates from them. Take a walk in the dunes of Es Trenc, and you’ll know what I mean.

Juniper berries are a spice used in a wide variety of culinary dishes and best known for the primary flavouring in Gin (whilst Mallorca is not big any longer in terms of Gin brewing and distilling, the neighbouring island of Menorca is very much so). Juniper berries are also used for a sauce to accompany quail, pheasant, veal, rabbit and other meat dishes. I am currently drying some self-picked berries to see if I can use them for culinary purposes.

The photos were taken near Ses Salines, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 9th, 2009. The time was 15:57:43, and 15:13:28, respectively.