Ors Morad, the oldest juniper identified in Iran

Khoshnevis, Mostafa; Davoudi, Kianoush; Fahrji, Najmeh; Babaki, Anita; Azampour, Mohammad

doi:10.22092/irn.2025.368090.1623

Ors Morad, the oldest juniper identified in Iran

Document Type : Scientific Letters

Authors

¹ Institute of forests and rangelands

² Senior expert of the Habitats and Regional Affairs Office at the Environmental Protection Organization

³ Senior expert of the Habitats and Regional Affairs Office at the General Directorate of Environmental Protection of Kerman province

10.22092/irn.2025.368090.1623

Abstract

Over 25 years of research within two phases of Iran's National Project for Identification, Introduction, and Propagation of Old Trees, more than 2000 ancient trees across approximately 60 species have been documented. Among these, plane trees are most prevalent, followed by walnut, cornel, and juniper. Notably, junipers exhibit the longest lifespans and possess the greatest number of ancient individuals. Prior to 2021, the oldest identified junipers were located in Shahristanak, Abersij, and Sarani, estimated to be between 2750 and 2850 years old. However, the discovery of the "Ors Morad" juniper has dramatically shifted these figures. This remarkable tree, aged between 3750 and 3850 years, surpasses the previously identified ancient junipers by a millennium. "Ors Morad" is now recognized as the thickest, oldest, tallest, and most voluminous juniper in both Iran and the world. It boasts an average diameter of 430 centimeters, a height of 2.25 meters, and a crown area of 458 square meters.

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