Jurupa Oak
The Jurupa Oak, or Hurungna Oak,[1][2] is a clonal colony of Quercus palmeri (Palmer's oak) trees in the Jurupa Mountains in Crestmore Heights, Riverside County, California. The colony has survived an estimated 13,000 years through clonal reproduction,[3][4][5] making it one of the world's oldest living trees.[5] The oak was discovered by botanist Mitch Provance in the 1990s and at the time he recognized it as disjunct for the species and likely an “ancient” clonal stand.
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The colony only grows after wildfires, when its burned branches sprout new shoots.[3] It is the only one of its species in the surrounding area, which is a much drier climate and lower altitude than that in which Palmer's oaks typically grow.[3] The oak has roughly 70 clusters of stems in a thicket which measures 25x8 metres in area and one metre in height.[5]
The colony is located within a mile of 34.033°N 117.391°W at an elevation of approximately 1,312 ft (400 m) on a relatively steep north-facing slope.[5]
See also
References
- Seifer, Helene (April 1, 2020). "Archeologist Speaks For Earth's Oldest Oak". Larchmont Chronicle. John H. Welborne. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "The Jurupa Oak; Third Oldest Living Thing on Earth". Los Angeles Almanac. Given Place Media. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- Yong, Ed (December 26, 2009). "The 13,000 Year Old Tree That Survives By Cloning Itself". National Geographic. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- The World's Oldest Plant -Alive at the Last Ice Age, The Daily Galaxy, November 29, 2010
- May, Michael R.; Provance, Mitchell C.; Sanders, Andrew C.; Ellstrand, Norman C.; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey (December 23, 2009). "A Pleistocene Clone of Palmer's Oak Persisting in Southern California". PLOS ONE. 4 (12): e8346. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.8346M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008346. PMC 2796394. PMID 20041136.