In a first, Environment Authority cultivates wild myrrh seeds in Dhofar

In a first, Environment Authority cultivates wild myrrh seeds in Dhofar

The Environment Authority has achieved a milestone by successfully cultivating wild myrrh seeds outside their original habitat.Muscat – The Environment Authority (EA) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully cultivating wild myrrh seeds in its nursery in Salalah, outside their original habitat. 

This accomplishment marks a rare feat, as the myrrh trees were propagated from seeds in a climate vastly different from their natural environment – a first for the sultanate of Oman.

An EA official emphasised the importance of this achievement, highlighting its potential to open new avenues for preserving myrrh trees and bolstering their population in their native regions. 

Myrrh trees, belonging to the frankincense family, are characterised by their small, perennial and spiny nature, reaching heights up to 3m. They typically thrive in semi-desert environments or rain shadow areas in the Dhofar mountains, extending to the Najd region.

The dwindling number of myrrh trees in Oman’s wild habitats prompted the EA to act. With fewer than 250 trees remaining in Oman, it conducted a comprehensive survey in 2023, revealing the species to be in a ‘very critical stage’. 

The EA advocates urgent reassessment of the species’ national classification in alignment with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s guidelines. 

The EA stressed the