Aragon has catalogued the region’s Unique Trees, which are now under protection. They are classified as unique because of the following characteristics:
THEIR SIZE
For example the horse-chestnut tree, also known as the conker tree (the chestnuts are not edible), in the park in Panticosa.
THEIR AGE
In San Juan de la Peña you will come across two oak trees that are over 350 years old; they were planted by the monks that lived there.
THEY ARE RARE SPECIES
The Spanish fir is a type of fir tree that only lives in the Sierra de Grazalema in Andalusia. But there is one, 17 metres tall, in the nursery at Arratiecho in Biescas, which is situated on the old Orós road. The sea buckthorn is a bush; however, it grows to over seven metres, and is a unique species in Spain. It is believed that it has been around since the time of the glaciers, and is a little bit difficult to find.
THEIR MERITS
Imagine a tree with a 5-metre trunk, a total height of 16 metres, and living at an altitude of almost 2,000 metres, when normally plants are stunted at high altitudes in order to cope better with the climate. This tree is the mountain pine (Pinusuncinata).
It may take you the whole day to go and see it, but you won’t be disappointed. You have to go to Sallent, from there to La Sarra, and immediately after you have crossed the dam there is a track that you have to take. It is a 2.5 hour walk in the direction of Ibonciecho to the Cambillón Pine.
THEIR APPEARANCE AND UNIQUENESS
The trunk of these trees has a circumference of 5 metres, and the trees are 23 metres tall; they are also of an unusual species and you will find them in the beech copse very close to Lacuniacha.
THEIR MAGICAL AND HEALING POWERS
Oak, holm oaks and Portuguese oaks: there are some good examples of Portuguese oaks in Ibort. You can get there via Hostal de Ipiés (the Layés evergreen oak (carrasca de Layés) is very close, in the same village) or from Sabiñánigo.
