PlantsMap

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5 plants worth knowing

Qatar

Qatar is a low limestone peninsula covered in gravel and stony desert and salt flats (sabkha), with dunes in the south around the Khor Al Adaid inlet. Vegetation is concentrated in shallow depressions called rawdas, where water and fertile soil collect after the winter rains, and on the coasts with their mangrove forests. Despite the extremely dry climate, more than 300 species of wild plants grow here.

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

where it grows

  1. Christ’s thorn jujube 1

    tree · Symbol of Qatar’s heritage, emblem of Qatar Foundation

    Christ’s thorn jujube

    Ziziphus spina-christi

    For Qataris a lone sidra in the desert is a symbol of endurance and knowledge – hence its place in the Qatar Foundation logo.
  2. Tetraena qatarensis 2

    shrub

    Tetraena qatarensis

    Tetraena qatarensis

    A plant that bears Qatar’s name – its fleshy, salty little leaves cover most of the Qatari desert.
  3. Grey mangrove 3

    tree

    Grey mangrove

    Avicennia marina

    The mangroves of Al Khor and Al Thakhira are Qatar’s only natural forests – and you can explore them by kayak.
  4. Date palm 4

    palm · Palm on the emblem of Qatar

    Date palm

    Phoenix dactylifera

    Two date palms appear on Qatar’s emblem – for centuries they gave desert dwellers food and shade.
  5. Umbrella thorn 5

    tree

    Umbrella thorn

    Vachellia tortilis

    Umbrella-shaped acacias in the rawdas are among Qatar’s few wild trees – an oasis of shade for birds and gazelles.