Wonder
Rieteklis Juniper (Rietekļa kadiķis)
In short
The largest juniper in Latvia is Rieteklis Juniper (Rietekļa kadiķis, also Baložu kadiķis) with a circumference of 3.12 m. Junipers always are beautiful but this one is… next-level beautiful!
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Map of the site
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In detail
The largest juniper in Latvia is also one of the most unusual and beautiful trees in Latvia – Rieteklis Juniper.
This tree in August 2015 had a circumference of 3.12 m, measured at the height of 1.3 m along the axis of this slanted tree.
This beautiful tree is known for a long time and images before World War II show that Rieteklis Juniper was standing vertically or near vertically. Now it is slanted and, it seems, continues to fall towards north-east.
The juniper is named after love poet Rieteklis (1856-1940) who lived in the nearby Baloži farmstead and loved the beautiful juniper in his property.
It is possible that this is the largest juniper in Europe north of Alps.
References
- Diži koki. Rietekļa jeb Baložu kadiķis, Dziedava.lv. Accessed on December 24, 2022.
Linked articles
Wonders of Latvia
Highlights of Latvia are the rich architectural heritage in Riga City, numerous palaces, country houses, and castles.
Trees
The category includes some of the most impressive and interesting separate trees in the world. The total number of tree species in the world still is a wild guess – maybe 10,000 and maybe 100,000 but most likely somewhere in between. Every month there are reported new tree species from the whole world, including Western Europe.
Wonders of Europe
The heritage of Europe is diverse and endlessly interesting. Incomparably rich is the wealth of European historical architecture, but this part of the world has exciting natural heritage and archaeological heritage as well.
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