Jurupa Oak
Exceptionally old clonal oak colony in Riverside, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 25 m × 8 m (82 ft × 26 ft) in area and one meter 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]
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 (3.6 km2) that includes 1,700 homes and a light industrial park, within 550 feet (170 m) of the Jurupa Oak.[7]
See also
- List of Riverside County, California, placename etymologies#Jurupa
- List of longest-living organisms
- List of oldest trees – List of longest living trees
- List of individual trees
- King Clone – Ancient clonal colony of creosote bush in the Mojave Desert
