A two-century old babul tree in the south of Iran was registered on the national heritage list, the director of the office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization in Bushehr Province said.
"The tree, located in the Bahmani district of the port city of Bushehr, was registered as the oldest babul tree in the country," Naser Amirzadeh said in a talk with IRNA on Monday.
Estimated to be 200-250 years old, the tree is 19 meters tall, he said.
It is the only survivor from a group of seven trees, known as Haft Baradaroun (literally meaning Seven Brothers) and the second item in Bushehr Province to be placed on the national list of cultural heritage sites, after the Salt Dome.
The babul tree, also known as gum Arabic or Egyptian acacia and technically as Vachellia nilotica, is native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent and is in high demand for its wood in Bushehr's ship manufacturing industry.
"It is an evergreen species with multiple applications. It is used in wood and charcoal industries and plays an important role in preventing soil erosion in the region," Amirzadeh said.
