Natural Monument of the Holm and the Cork Oak of the Dehesa San Francisco

Natural Monument Holm and the Cork Oak of the Dehesa San Francisco

The Natural Monument of the Holm and the Cork Oak on the Dehesa San Francisco belongs to the municipality of Santa Olalla del Cala in the South-East of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park, Huelva province, Andalusia. This monument hosts on its 0,37 hectares two emblematic, several centuries old trees belonging to the autochthonous Mediterranean vegetation and representative of the Dehesa: the holm oak (Quercus ilex L. subsp ballota) and the cork oak (Quercus rotundifolia).

In 2001, the holm oak was declared Natural Monument but only in 2019, the protection was extended to the centuries old cork oak close to it. Both trees stand out for the extraordinary expansion of the crown of the tree and tree trunk. Besides the broadness, also the age of the two exemplars of Quercus is outstanding: it is estimated between 400 and 500 years.

The protection as a Natural Monument covers areas and elements which are already recognized and appreciated by the population due to its uniqueness.

The Dehesa, cultural landscape, divers and very vivid

This Natural Monument is located on the Dehesa San Francisco, an enclave of an exceptional ecologic value, typical for the Mediterranean landscape.

In the Dehesas, natural resources like wood, cork and pasture for the livestock are being used.

Under the protection of two plant colossus

The fruits of both trees ‒ the acorns ‒ are of a high nutritional value; when they are ripe, they are the basic food for the Iberian Pigs which represent an enormous economic factor and impregnate the local culture. The acorns of the holm oak are rather sweetish, whereas the acorns of the cork oak are rather bitter and rich in tannins. They have astringent and hypoglycemiant properties and help to lower cholesterol.

Source: Junta de Andalucía