A grove of Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) stands at the edge of Big Indian Gorge in Steens Mountain. The Mountain Mahogany is a hardy shrub of the family Rosaceae, and has the potential to grow upwards of 30 meters. Native to the dry mountainous regions of the Western United States, Mountain Mahogany has the distinction of being one of the oldest known flowering trees on Earth, with one individual being dated around 1,350 year old. Although it’s difficult to accurately date a tree of this age, it places the Mountain Mahogany as a rival to the Olive Tree for being the longest lived flower tree on Earth. Steens Mountain, Southeastern Oregon.
Harney County, Mountain Mahogany, Steens Mountain
