tree species of lebanon - first batch!

this past year, we've been making an effort to research some of the most common tree species in lebanon! we've documented panels we've seen on trails and in nature reserves, been collecting information from local experts during our hikes, and looking through website and other references.

below is a list of common species that are found in lebanon in general. the list is based on a publication posted on the jabal moussa reserve website, and serves as a great starting point that we'll use and develop. so as we discover more species, we'll be building on that list and expanding it.

main tree species in lebanese forests:

syrian maple, found in eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Cyprus and Israel. grows along coastal mountains.

greek strawberry tree is a small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia.

syrian juniper, a species of juniper native to the eastern Mediterranean region from southern Greece, southern Turkey, western Syria, and Lebanon, growing on rocky sites from 800-1700 m altitude. it's the tallest species of juniper, forming a conical tree 10-25 m tall, exceptionally up to 40 m, and with a trunk up to 1-2 m thick--says wikipedia.

judas tree (fabaceae) a beautiful tree which we don't recall seeing anywhere yet.

azarole (or mediterranean medlar!)--yummy fruits and it's in the Rosaceae family.

south european flowering ash--i don't recall seeing this.

prickly juniper (also called prickly cedar, cade juniper, cade, or cade cedar!) --of the Cuppresaceae family.- it's endemic to the mediterranean, starting from Morocco, passing by France and into the East. according to wikipedia, "cade oil is the essential oil obtained through destructive distillation of the wood of this shrub. it is a dark, aromatic oil with a strong smoky smell which is used in some cosmetics and (traditional) skin treatment drugs, as well as incense."

bay laurel -Lauraceae- a classic. "it figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture"

the crab apple (for which there hardly seems to be any online reference). beautiful tree, its leaves seem similar to maple, just a bit more elongated. it's also from the Rosaceae family.

hop hornbeam amazing tree! it's in the Betulaceae family and it's known for its hard wood.

phillyrea evergreen flowering shrubs in the family Oleaceae (olive!) family, native to the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands and Madeira.

syrian pear (locally called wild pear); used as rootstock to grow commercial pears, because it has the advantage to resist draught and arid situations and can grow in different types of soil. its fruit is small and not palatable. like other fruits, it's also of the Rosaceae family.

pistacia palaestina is a beautiful tree, common in the Levant region (especially Israel and Syria). It is called terebinth in English. it's from the Anacardiaceae family (an amazing family that includes cashew, mango, poison ivy and sumac!).

oriental plane, a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, known for its longevity and spreading crown. the name derives from its historical distribution eastward from the Balkans, where it was recognized in ancient Greek history and literature.

bear plum, a deciduous shrub. its flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects.the species is common around the Mediterranean, and its of the Rosaceae family.

palestine oak is a "turkey oak", native to the eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia, from northern Algeria and Turkey east across the Middle East. it's an evergreen, with spiny-serrated leaves. Fagaceae (beech) family.

turkey oak (pseudo-cerris variety) is an oak native to southern Europe and Asia Minor. characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, bristle-tipped leaf lobes, and acorns that usually mature in 18 months.

turkish gall, gall oak, lusitanian oak, or dyer's oak, is a species of oak native to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. a source of commercial nutgalls. galls are produced by the infection from the insect Cynips gallae tinctoriae and are used for dyeing! used by Tamils for more than 2000 years.

wild service tree, or checker(s) tree, is a species of sorbus native to Europe covering west Europe into Asia Minor to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains. Rosaceae family.

styrax officinalis is a beautiful shrub native to southern Europe and the Middle East. of the Styracaceae family.