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.[6]
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°01′59″N 117°23′28″W / 34.033°N 117.391°W at an elevation of approximately 1,312 ft (400 m) on a relatively steep north-facing slope.[5]
On September 5, 2024, the city council of Jurupa Valley, California, approved in a 3-2 vote a plan to build a mixed development on 1.4-square-miles that includes 1,700 homes and a light industrial park, within 550 feet of the Jurupa Oak.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Seifer, Helene (April 1, 2020). "Archeologist Speaks For Earth's Oldest Oak". Larchmont Chronicle. John H. Welborne. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Jurupa Oak; Third Oldest Living Thing on Earth". Los Angeles Almanac. Given Place Media. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c Yong, Ed (December 26, 2009). "The 13,000 Year Old Tree That Survives By Cloning Itself". National Geographic. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ McKinney, Luke (November 29, 2010). "The World's Oldest Plant -Alive at the Last Ice Age". The Daily Galaxy. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ Haggerty, Noah (June 29, 2024). "One of Earth's oldest known plants takes center stage in California development battle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Osaka, Shannon (September 6, 2024). "California city approves industrial park next to one of Earth's oldest trees". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
External links
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