Persian oak

The oak woods of the Zagros Mountains are Iraq’s largest forests – the galls of this oak were once used to make ink and dyes.

Quercus brantii is a fairly low tree, usually growing 10–15 m tall, with a broad crown and leathery, toothed leaves covered underneath with star-shaped hairs. It produces large acorns in scaly cups. It grows on dry, stony mountain slopes at about 700–2,000 m, forming open woodland. Its acorns were once ground into flour, and its galls were used for tanning hides and making ink.

Significance in the country

Zagros oaks make up almost all of Iraq’s natural forests, which are concentrated in the Kurdistan Region. For the Kurds they are an important source of firewood, fodder and wild food, and oak woods are a permanent feature of the mountain landscape.

Where it grows

Grows in the Zagros Mountains in the north and north-east of the country – in Duhok, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates, especially around Amadiya, Rawanduz and Penjwen.

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