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Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa)
Photo: Honacan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries tree

Greek juniper

Juniperus excelsa

Family: Cupressaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Pakistan, Turkmenistan.

A slow-growing conifer reaching 15–20 m, with a thick, often twisted trunk and fibrous, peeling bark. Mature shoots are covered in tiny scale-like leaves, and the fruits are dark purple, bloomy berry-like cones. It copes superbly with drought, frost and poor, stony soils, so it forms open forests on dry mountain slopes at about 2,000–3,300 m, where other trees cannot survive. Because it grows so slowly, individual trees reach an age of many centuries.

Description from: Pakistan.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Pakistan no. 5 of 10

    The juniper forest at Ziarat in Balochistan is one of the largest and oldest juniper stands in the world and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2013; the juniper is a symbol of this mountainous province.

  2. Turkmenistan no. 5 of 8

    The sparse juniper forests of the Kopet Dag protect the slopes from erosion and mudflows, and in the Kopetdag reserve they are a refuge for wild sheep and leopards.