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10 plants worth knowing

Pakistan

Pakistan stretches from the Thar and Balochistan deserts and the mangroves of the Indus Delta, across the canal-irrigated plain of Punjab, to the conifer forests and glaciers of the Himalayas, Hindu Kush and Karakoram. Most of the country has a dry, hot climate, so forests cover only a few per cent of its area and are concentrated on the wetter mountain slopes of the north.

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

where it grows

  1. Deodar cedar 1

    tree · National tree of Pakistan

    Deodar cedar

    Cedrus deodara

    A majestic cedar from the northern mountains, whose name comes from the Sanskrit “deva-daru” – “wood of the gods”.
  2. Common jasmine 2

    climber · National flower of Pakistan

    Common jasmine

    Jasminum officinale

    Jasmine’s white, intensely fragrant flowers are woven into garlands for weddings and festivals – it is Pakistan’s national flower.
  3. Mango 3

    tree · National fruit of Pakistan

    Mango

    Mangifera indica

    Chaunsa, Sindhri, Anwar Ratol – Pakistan’s mango varieties are reckoned among the sweetest in the world.
  4. Shisham 4

    tree

    Shisham

    Dalbergia sissoo

    Shisham yields a hard, dark wood from which the craftsmen of Chiniot carve Pakistan’s famous furniture.
  5. Greek juniper 5

    tree

    Greek juniper

    Juniperus excelsa

    Ziarat has one of the largest juniper forests in the world – some of its trees are more than a thousand years old.
  6. Common wheat 6

    crop

    Common wheat

    Triticum aestivum

    The foundation of Pakistani cooking – wheat from Punjab is baked into everyday chapati, roti and naan.
  7. Upland cotton 7

    crop

    Upland cotton

    Gossypium hirsutum

    Pakistan’s “white gold” – cotton from southern Punjab and Sindh drives the country’s largest industry, textiles.
  8. Rice 8

    crop

    Rice

    Oryza sativa

    Long-grain basmati from around Gujranwala and Sialkot – the fragrant rice behind Pakistan’s famous biryani and pulao.
  9. Apricot 9

    crop

    Apricot

    Prunus armeniaca

    In spring apricot orchards turn the Hunza and Skardu valleys into a sea of pinkish-white blossom, and the dried fruit is a delicacy of the north.
  10. Chilgoza pine 10

    tree

    Chilgoza pine

    Pinus gerardiana

    A pine from the dry western mountains whose edible nuts – chilgoza – are one of Pakistan’s most expensive winter treats.