ABSTRACT
In Iran, walnuts can be found in 28 of 31 provinces. The Persian walnut, as a tree species, has been conserved traditionally for centuries in gardens and orchards throughout numerous provinces of Iran. Here, walnuts carry with them economic, social and cultural connotations and meanings, although it is essentially a horticultural product. It can be said that walnuts are a member of some rural communities. Walnuts are more than merely an economic issue because of their long-term planting in Iran and the long life of the tree. They can therefore play a role in the socio-economic and cultural structure of the community, especially in rural areas. Walnut longevity is usually longer than human life, which results in a series of beneficiary relationships and productivity systems, sometimes leading to the division of ownership of one tree among several successors of a deceased person. In other cases of strong respect for the tree, the land where the walnut tree is planted remains in the possession of the tree only, and no one else. As long as the walnut tree is alive, the owner of the tree is entitled to the land if he does not own the land, but when the tree dies the owner of the tree will have no rights in the orchard. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the power and value of walnut throughout Iran’s diverse cultural geographies.
