PlantsMap

EN PL

8 plants worth knowing

Oman

Oman is a land of contrasts: in the north rise the bare, rocky Hajar Mountains, at whose feet oases watered by ancient aflaj channels sustain palm groves, while the interior is taken up by gravel deserts and the dunes of the Wahiba Sands. In the far south, in Dhofar, the summer monsoon (khareef) turns the coast into green, misty forest – unique on the Arabian Peninsula – and frankincense trees grow on the dry slopes beyond the mountains.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Frankincense tree 1

    tree · Symbol of Oman – the “Land of Frankincense” in Dhofar on the UNESCO list

    Frankincense tree

    Boswellia sacra

    The world’s finest frankincense – Hojari from Dhofar – has been harvested for 5,000 years from the cut bark of these unassuming little trees.
  2. Date palm 2

    palm

    Date palm

    Phoenix dactylifera

    Green date palm groves, watered by falaj channels thousands of years old, are the loveliest sight of Oman’s oases.
  3. Christ’s thorn jujube 3

    tree

    Christ’s thorn jujube

    Ziziphus spina-christi

    Sidr is the tree in whose shade the whole village gathers – and from which bees make the most expensive honey in Arabia.
  4. Terminalia dhofarica 4

    tree

    Terminalia dhofarica

    Terminalia dhofarica

    In the monsoon season this tree forms misty green forests in Dhofar – utterly unlike the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.
  5. Pomegranate 5

    crop

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum

    On the terraces of the Green Mountain, 2,000 m above the desert, Oman’s most famous pomegranates ripen.
  6. Damask rose 6

    shrub

    Damask rose

    Rosa × damascena

    In spring damask roses bloom on the terraces of Al-Jabal al-Akhdar – their petals are distilled into traditional Omani rosewater.
  7. Key lime 7

    crop

    Key lime

    Citrus × aurantiifolia

    Sun-dried lime, known in many countries as “Omani lime”, gives a sour, smoky flavour to the rice dishes and stews of the Gulf.
  8. Ghaf 8

    tree

    Ghaf

    Prosopis cineraria

    The ghaf is the hardiest tree of Oman’s plains – camels rest in its shade and villagers gather beneath it to talk.