The Azrou Cedar forest in Morocco is one of those trees that can be considered ‘national’ in Morocco. Therefore, here we give you some keys so that you can recognize it and see it in person, especially in its natural habitat.
This is a very heated debate in the world of botany: is the Atlas cedar its species (Cedrus atlantica) or is it just a subspecies of the Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani var. Atlantic)? Some botanists defend one position or another, although at a popular level they are usually treated as different, despite their obvious similarities.
How is the Azrou Cedar Forest?
If you like botany or nature in a broader sense, you will surely be able to quickly recognize an Atlas cedar. In any case, this is a list with its main morphological characteristics:
Traditionally, the Atlas cedar has provided wood for the prestigious Moroccan cabinetry, as you can see by touring the souks of the medinas, especially in cities such as Fez or Meknes. And in modern times, it is widely used as an ornamental tree in large gardens.
Where to find Atlas Cedar Forest?
Whether the species position is supported or the subspecies position is defended, the term ‘Azrou cedar forest’ is appropriate in our case, since our travels through Morocco take us to corners of the Atlas where we can have direct contact with this type of tree. , so we don’t associate it with Lebanon but with this Moroccan mountain range.
The Azrou cedar forest is very common in the Middle Atlas, a mountain range that meets the perfect conditions for the life of this tree. In addition, it is also abundant in certain points of the Rif mountain range, in the north of the country, and also in some scattered points of the High Atlas.
If we go into more detail, it can be said that the ideal place to see Azrou cedars is the Ifrane National Park, located on the outskirts of this town in the Middle Atlas. It is a large protected area not only because of the abundant presence of trees of this type but also because they provide shelter to the largest community of Barbary apes in the wild.
For this reason, when our circuits around the country pass through this area when crossing the Middle Atlas towards the desert, we usually dedicate the necessary time to delve into this unique natural environment, where you can see specimens of these macaques climbing on the branches.
If you also want to live the experience of contemplating that scene here, or you want to organize a tour through another green area with the presence of Atlas cedars, do not hesitate to contact Morocco Agogo Tours: we will organize a tailor-made trip to enjoy the country from a natural point of view.
