These amazing trees. Amazing trees of our planet The most unusual trees on the planet
We are all accustomed to the sight of the trees around us and, passing by, we do not pay much attention to them. But very unusual specimens also grow on our planet. Their appearance will not only surprise us, but will also make us stop in amazement.
1. On our planet there are many trees of a species unusual to our eyes. But where they grow, local residents take them for granted and do not pay much attention to them.
2. For example, not a single European will pass by a baobab without stopping to look at and touch the giant. The people of Africa will no longer understand this delight. After all, for them it is an ordinary, unremarkable tree.
3. Baobab trees growing in Madagascar can take the form of a bottle or teapot. Scientists don’t know exactly what this is connected with, but they assume that such a strange appearance allows for better moisture retention.
5. The appearance of rainbow eucalyptus trees, found only in the northern hemisphere, seems to have been created by an unknown abstractionist. But in fact, the multi-colored bark is the work of mother nature.
6. In addition to their bright appearance, the trees became famous for their colossal growth. It can reach seventy meters in height.
7. Another unique representative of the flora is the dragon tree. It does not have growth rings, and at the site of a fresh cut, red juice appears, reminiscent of blood in color.
8. The ancient temple palace of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and centuries-old cotton trees have long become one.
9. Cotton trees are also called “ceibs”. In addition to the unique symbiosis with ancient ruins, the trees have another extraordinary feature. Their trunk and branches are densely strewn with thorns. This “prickly outfit” allows you to better retain valuable moisture.
10. The Inyo National Forest is home to the oldest tree on our planet. This is an intermountain bristlecone pine, given the name "Methuselah". It was discovered by scientists in 1953. Only according to rough calculations, the tree is 4842 years old. The exact location of the amazing pine tree is kept secret in order to avoid acts of vandalism.
11. A 1,500-year-old oak tree grows in South Carolina (USA). The height of the centuries-old giant is twenty meters, diameter is 2.7 meters. The last owners of the land on which the oak grows were the Angel family, so the tree was called "Angel Oak".
13. It belongs to the Taxodium family and is found only in Mexico. Scientists believe that the tree is more than one and a half thousand years old. Its diameter is 11.62 meters, height - thirty-five meters.
Every gardener, regardless of the size of his plot, dreams of making his garden unique and unique. A non-standard approach to choosing plants in this matter is as effective as choosing an unusual design style. One of the easiest ways to give your garden an individual touch, make it truly unique and attract the admiring attention of passers-by and guests is to choose trees and shrubs from the exotic category. Their status as very rare plants unsuitable for growing in our climate literally changes the perception of the garden. Of course, there are many difficulties in growing exotics and caring for them. And often, to introduce them to the site, you need to be prepared to grow them in tubs, and not in soil, and a long wait when ordering remotely. But each such plant is truly unique and unique.
Cercis canadensis (Cercis canadensis). © Scarlet Black Content:
Any landscape designer, and even an experienced gardener, will confirm that there are two ways to give your garden an individual look:
- Working with the entire landscape, creating unique compositions, carefully considering every detail from structure to lines, selection of colors and accessories.
- Introduction of only 1-2 plants, but belonging to the number of unusual, exclusive trees and shrubs. They can replace a carefully thought-out design and make up for the lack of originality in any project. True, when searching for such special plants, it is better to be careful and adhere to some rules.
Admiring exotic plants, succumbing to the charm of tropical gardens and lovingly exploring the landscapes of distant countries during their holidays, gardeners around the world are inspired, and then often try to bring a few unusual and liked touches into their garden. But when looking for exotic plants for your garden - unusual plants that are extremely rare - you need to be careful and attentive. Simply buying a seedling in foreign stores to decorate your site with an exotic tree or shrub will not be enough.
Most likely, such a plant will not take root. Particular caution should be exercised in relation to those plants that are very popular in European gardening. Their winter hardiness for Western Europe does not mean at all that the plants will survive in the middle zone. Therefore, you order crops from European catalogs only after consulting with experienced gardeners or after checking the degree of their winter hardiness. Otherwise, the long-awaited new products will most likely die during the first winter.
When searching for the most unusual large plants for your site, you should adhere to the same rules that you use to select more familiar crops. First of all, focus on local varieties and the assortment of local nurseries and garden centers, and catalogs of landscape companies in your country. The best gardeners in your region have probably already tested dozens of different plant species and, through trial and error, discovered those crops that can adapt to a particular climate.
Along with the plants we are familiar with, all nurseries without exception also sell exotic new items. And sometimes these are the same types and varieties of plants that we are so eager to buy on foreign sites. But thanks to many years of cultivation in climatic conditions identical to your garden or close to it, such plants are much more persistent and hardy. And the risk of losing them is much less.
So, if you want to decorate your garden with an exotic novelty and stand out from your neighbors, then first of all you need to take a closer look at the assortment of trees and shrubs in local gardening farms. In their catalogs you will definitely find unusual crops that are well suited for your garden. And the number of such plants will definitely be more than one dozen. So your ideal exotic accent is probably closer than you think.
Another great option for finding exotic shrubs and woody plants is visiting exhibitions and fairs. After all, not only large garden centers participate in them, but also private garden farms and even individual gardeners, whose success may be useful to you. As a last resort, you can always ask for advice and guidance in finding exotic crops that can adapt well to your climate.
Botanical gardens have always served and continue to serve today as a reliable source of information about winter hardiness and tests in culture of various exotic plants. They also offer exotic plants for sale, and their selection includes plants that cannot be found in nurseries and garden centers.
When deciding to search for an exotic plant for your garden, you need to stock up not only with perseverance and patience, prepare for a long search that requires informed decisions, but also carefully calculate your budget. The fact is that such plants, due to their rarity and the complexity of selection and propagation, will most likely cost a lot. Along with coniferous trees, exotic trees are considered the most expensive species of seedlings.
TOP 9 fashionable exotics
1. Snow tree
Blooming snow tree or Snowflower virginiana, or Chionanthus virginiana (Chionanthus virginicus) is a truly unforgettable sight. In its homeland, this two-meter-tall and far from modest, beautifully blooming representative of the North American flora is known only as “grandfather’s beard.”
When in full bloom, this plant flaunts an almost continuous fringe of airy drooping inflorescences of unusual flowers with thin perianth lobes, which really all together look like a kind of beard.
The snowflower, snowman or snow tree combines seemingly opposite characteristics. Tropical oblong-ovate leaves up to 20 cm long with a shiny surface turn a dazzling bright yellow in autumn. But the inflorescences-panicles up to 25 cm long, weakly fragrant, consisting of numerous white “strings” of flowers look like peculiar bundles of wool or ribbons and seem strikingly northern.
At the same time, the entire plant, hung with this luxurious fringe, seems to be fluttering in the wind, and is in constant motion.
The ability of hionanthus to bloom even after a harsh winter is explained very simply: its flowers bloom only on young branches. In central Russia, this shrub grows well with careful shelter and will bloom every year. And for the sake of such a spectacle, it is worth trying to prepare it for winter. The main thing is to provide good lighting and light soil with a pH of 6.5.
Virginia snowflower, or Chionanthus virginicus. © claytonsnatives Virginia snowflower, or Chionanthus virginicus. © University of Maryland Virginia snowflower, or Chionanthus virginicus. © Arthur T. LaBar2. Canadian scarlet, or Cercis
Also, another very beautiful shrub is limited to a two-meter maximum height - Cercis canadensis (Cercis canadensis), we are better known by the name Canadian scarlet. Despite the status of a non-frost-resistant plant, it is able to prove itself not only in the southern regions or in tub culture. Its velvety, bright red leaves when blooming, then green, and in autumn dark red leaves have no equal, and the plant surprises not only with their heart-shaped shape and the beauty of the veins, but also with the grace of the silhouette. The plant’s flowers are so architectural that they literally seem like works of art in flower arrangements.
Cercis can also boast of non-standard flowering. The mauve, very graceful flowers are collected in dense bunches that completely cover both annual and old shoots, literally turning the whole plant into a pink vision in the spring. The flowers bloom at the same time the leaves begin to bloom.
At a young age, Cercis requires stronger shelter, but in a protected location it gradually increases winter hardiness, although in exceptionally harsh winters it may not bloom next year. This plant is not only very spectacular, but also drought-resistant. All it needs is sun and alkaline, well-drained soil.
Cercis canadensis (Cercis canadensis). © dogwood*designer Cercis canadensis (Cercis canadensis). © Paco Garin Cercis canadensis (Cercis canadensis). © Dawn Johnson3. Japanese Styrax
It is difficult to imagine a crop with more massive snow-white flowering than Styrax Japanese (Styrax japonicus). It is practically unknown among us, but one look at the white foam of flowers that covers the tree in June makes you fall in love with this plant forever. White bells bloom in loose inflorescences, hanging elegantly on brown pedicels and flaunting a center of stamens of the same tone when all the fruit trees have faded and, it would seem, delicate watercolors no longer have a place in the garden.
Styrax requires cultivation in sunny or semi-shaded areas, complete protection from the wind and very fertile soil. Difficulties in growing this plant also arise with ensuring the correct soil characteristics, since styrax does not like lime. Despite the fact that usually only young trees need protection, in the middle zone styrax is able to winter successfully and bloom beautifully only if it is covered for the winter with at least a thick layer of dry leaves.
Japanese styrax (Styrax japonicus). © sjgbloom2012 Japanese styrax (Styrax japonicus). © Mark Watts Japanese styrax (Styrax japonicus). © Pitch Pine Pete4. Lily of the valley tree
The most beautiful bell-shaped flowers, without exaggeration, are characteristic of the North American lily of the valley tree, or Galesia carolina (Halesia carolina). This is a unique plant whose drooping, elegant bells of flowers on the branches really remind one of lilies of the valley.
Despite its reputation, this is a fairly frost-resistant plant. The lily of the valley tree, provided it is sheltered for the winter and planted in protected places, in the company of large shrubs, can overwinter in the middle zone. Careful selection of lime-free and fertile soil and provision of good lighting are fully repaid by the beauty of the plant’s flowering, a scattering of graceful bells that decorate the garden in May-June. One of the advantages of the lily of the valley tree is that the flowers of this plant bloom simultaneously with the leaves: the bush literally transforms before our eyes in a matter of days.
Galesia carolina (Halesia carolina). © Meneerke bloem
5. Chocolate vine
Among climbing plants today, the East Asian one can be considered a real exotic, which our gardeners are just discovering. chocolate vine, or Akebia quintuple (Akebia quinata). This evergreen vine up to 10 m long with five-fingered, very hard leaves and purple-chocolate flowers even manages to form edible fruits.
To protect it for the winter, the vine must be removed from its support, laid in rings and covered with dry leaves. But you won’t have to regret your efforts even for a day. With age, akebia increasingly increases its winter hardiness.
Akebia quinata. © Pat Kight Akebia quinata ‘Alba’. © F. D. Richards Akebia quinata. © Quentin6. Campsis rooting
Campsis rooting, or Tecoma (Campsis radicans) is a surprisingly spectacular and fast-growing vine, also known as trombone. Feathery leaves up to 25 cm in length and amazingly abundant flowering with original flowers turn Kampsis into one of the most beautiful large-flowered vines. Tubular, trombone-like flowers reach 9 cm in length with the same diameter, collected in brushes of 10-15 pieces. The massiveness of the inflorescences makes the flowering that continues all summer even more powerful.
When grown on the south side of the house, the plant overwinters well and can withstand frosts down to minus 35, provided it is covered. Without it, it overwinters at minus 20. Occasionally, only young shoots suffer, but thanks to its rapid growth, Kampsis recovers well.
Rooting Campsis, or Tekoma (Campsis radicans). © Rosa Rooting Campsis, or Tekoma (Campsis radicans). © MathijsDielissen Rooting Campsis, or Tekoma (Campsis radicans). © Hellebardius
7. Tulip tree
Liriodendron tulip, or real tulip tree, or Lyran (Liriodendron tulipifera) is one of the most beautiful flowering ornamental trees, capable of blooming successfully for centuries. Quadrangular light green leaves with an unusual color tone emphasize the grace of the original light green-red flowers with sepals that seem to be turned down, shaped like a hybrid of cyclamen and tulips and reaching a diameter of 10 cm.
Demanding on soil fertility and good lighting, this incomparable beauty tolerates frosts down to -30, and when grown with protection in the first years and when using already acclimatized plants, it is even more hardy.
Liriodendron tulipifera, or true tulip tree, or lyran (Liriodendron tulipifera). © Powell Gardens Liriodendron tulipifera, or true tulip tree, or lyran (Liriodendron tulipifera). © rachelgreenbelt Liriodendron tulipifera, or true tulip tree, or lyran (Liriodendron tulipifera). © John Reeves8. Horse chestnut pavia
Beautiful blooming view of horse chestnuts Horse chestnut red, or Horse chestnut pavia (Aesculus pavia) deserves much greater distribution. It can be grown in virtually the same regions where the common horse chestnut grows successfully. The main advantages of this species are not even its modest size, although the trees do not exceed 3 m in height and develop in the form of shrubs.
Young leaves are colored red, changing to classic green only in early summer. And the flowering of pavia can compete with the best garden stars. Red-yellow flowers, collected in delightful pyramids and panicles of inflorescences, seem not just catchy, but unusually elegant. This red giant has no equal. And to grow everything, you need to provide light insulation for the winter (but even without it, pavia recovers well when it freezes).
Red horse chestnut, or pavia horse chestnut (Aesculus pavia). © Hertzler George
9. Paulownia
Unique in its kind and Paulownia, or Adam's tree (Paulownia), or dragon tree. Deciduous or semi-evergreen, spectacular, medium-sized trees with surprisingly picturesque crown patterns and large whole-cut leaves on long petioles attract attention, first of all, with the bells of flowers with a five-lobed limb, reminiscent of gloxinia flowers. Collecting in large apical panicles of inflorescences, painted white, purple or blue, the flowers turn each tree into an unforgettable lilac cloud.
Paulownia is demanding when it comes to watering and fertilizing, requires extremely careful selection of sites and shelter, and can freeze to the level of snow. But she pays off all the risks with her beauty.
Paulownia, or Adam's tree (Paulownia). © Petr Filippov Paulownia, or Adam's tree (Paulownia). © Jean-Pol GRANDMONT Paulownia, or Adam's tree (Paulownia). © Groogle
Trendy “almost exotic”
There are also plants whose exotic status today can be considered controversial. The thing is that these crops, as a result of a sharp jump in popularity and the establishment of a garden fashion for planting in decorative compositions, have recently been found in garden centers on almost every corner. And they can no longer be considered as unusual as exotics with much less popularity. In terms of origin and flamboyance, they are truly exotic, but fashion is gradually changing their status.
One of these plants is definitely the false camellia, which loves acidic soils. Stuartia pseudocamellia (Stewartia pseudocamellia). A little over a decade ago, almost no one had heard of it, but today it is invariably found in the assortment of beautifully flowering European shrubs. White cupped flowers and a very bright autumn crown color and good winter hardiness in conditions similar to Western Europe have made stewartia almost as popular in the West as rhododendrons. And its bark is very original, unevenly colored and peeling. And whether it is still exotic is an active debate among designers. In winter hardiness it is similar to the tulip tree, and with age it becomes more hardy.
Stewartia pseudocamellia. © TommyHAGA
Almost the same rise in popularity has recently been characteristic of other shrubs and trees. Exotics that are becoming more and more common include:
- Yellow-flowered Weigel Middendorf (Weigela middendorffiana). It is so different in appearance from ordinary weigela with white and pink flowers that it seems like a completely different shrub. It grows up to 1.5 m and blooms in May-June, yellow weigela is capable of repeated late-summer flowering and freezes slightly; with timely formative pruning after flowering, it blooms magnificently even in the middle zone.
- Eastern spruce (Picea orientalis) golden-shaped “Aureospica” with shortened needles and a filigree structure of branches, emphasized by literally dazzling sunny young branches.
- Sakura, or Small serrated cherry (Prunus serrulata), which is increasingly being decided to be planted not only in gardens, but is also used in urban landscaping thanks to the development of varieties that recover well when frozen.
- Sakura's main competitor Trilobed almond, or Louiseania triloba (Prunus triloba), growing into bushes up to 2 m in height with spectacular pink double flowers that bloom in April-May before the leaves appear and turn this almond into one of the most picturesque spectacles. The plant's tenderness of flowering only emphasizes the dark color of the branches.
- Catalpa is beautiful (Catalpa speciosa), a beautifully flowering species of the best tree for pruning, which, despite its apparent low winter hardiness, is already grown here. During flowering, which lasts about a month in June-July, catalpas produce striking bells of asymmetrical flowers in inflorescences of up to 50 pieces, after flowering of which long fruits up to 40 cm in length, similar to green icicles, are formed, remaining on the tree almost the entire winter.
- Lush-flowered Wisteria, or wisteria (Wisteria) - a legendary vine with hanging lilac clusters of inflorescences. Wisteria does not bloom every year here, but it grows quickly and requires careful shelter with the removal of support and air-dry wrapping.
- Magnolia Siebold (Magnolia sieboldii) with its touching snow-white flowers and yellow-flowered magnolia varieties “Butterfly” and “Yellow Bird” with an unusual color.
- Ginkgo biloba, or Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba) is a legendary healing plant and a gigantic tree that forms beautifully as a shrub. Its two-lobed leaves are as beautiful as its blooms.
- Gigantic and amazingly picturesque Sophora japonica (Sophora japonica, which today has been reclassified as Styphnolobia japonica (Styphnolobium japonicum)) is a strikingly beautiful tree or shrub with unique silhouettes of branches and very beautiful shiny dark green leaves of a complex pinnate type, producing clusters of white-light green flowers in mid-summer.
- Chinese type of maple - Maple gray (Acer griseum) with its unique bark and orange-red fall leaves. The reddish bark on the trunks peels off like rolls of paper and the originality of the tree is visible even from a distance. And a sight of such beauty is difficult to find in any other tree giant.
- Pink-flowered Kuril bush tea, Cinquefoil bush or Cinquefoil shrub (Dasiphora fruticosa, formerly known as Pentaphylloides fruticosa) usually flaunts white and yellow flowers, but the “Princess” variety surprises with its May start and bright pink flowers that gradually fade. Outwardly, this variety seems more like an exotic rose hip than Kuril tea. The “Red Ace” variety also belongs to the exotic variety, whose carmine-red flowers bloom tirelessly until autumn, then changing color to orange.
Alternative to exotics
There is no need to be upset that most of the plants that are so popular in the West cannot take root in our country due to harsh winters. You can always find an alternative and a close relative for each plant, which, with almost the same appearance, will be much more frost-resistant. This interchangeability is especially evident in maples, which have their own suitable “copy” for each species.
Unique Red vein maple, or Honshu maple (Acer rufinerve), famous for its beautiful pattern on the bark, will not grow in the middle zone or will develop as a shrub, the bark on which is almost invisible. But it can be replaced with Green maple (Acer tegmentosum), which will form powerful trunks, which, although different in design, also flaunt very unusual bark.
With the help Japanese maples (Acer japonicum) can be replaced with exotic False siebold maple (Acer pseudosieboldianum). And gorgeous Forsythia ovalifolia, or Forsythia ovate (Forsythia ovata) can successfully replace any non-winter-hardy species or variety of these early flowering shrubs.
There is another excellent option that does not require selecting plants according to frost resistance at all. You can grow any exotic shrub or tree in the form of a tub plant with wintering indoors. True, transporting huge containers with a very large plant will require considerable effort. But this way you can grow even the best tropical species and have no doubt at all whether they will overwinter with you.
Red vein maple, or Honshu maple “First Snow” (Acer rufinerve ‘Hatsuyuki’). © Biagioli Alessandro
Secrets of selecting conditions for exotic plants in the garden
Be prepared for a pleasant surprise. Adapted exotics, unknown to most gardeners but already growing among local pioneers, may not be as demanding as plants typical for your climate. Especially when it comes to abundantly flowering crops. Often the only drawback of such plants is their obscurity. Having already adapted to a specific climate, even seemingly tropical crops, with the right selection of growing conditions, are most often content with literally minimal care.
But the selection of conditions for any exotic is a task of truly paramount importance. For plants that are atypical for your climate and belong to rare species, it is necessary to carefully control the lighting and soil. A place for growing exotics must be sought, regardless of its individual preferences, among the warmest areas on the site, protected from winds and drafts, located on the south side of buildings and preferably protected from unfavorable and cold winds by bushes or walls.
Only in well-warmed sunny or semi-shaded locations will unusual shrubs and trees be able to take root. Shade-loving plants are planted in partial shade, while light-loving plants are planted in the brightest southern locations. A prerequisite for growing any, even the most moisture-loving exotic (regardless of individual preferences for soil composition) is good drainage of the soil, its deep development, and the absence of the risk of water stagnation. In a word, it is necessary to select quiet, warm corners with the most stable conditions.
The most unusual trees on our planet:
10. Bottle Tree
Location: Namibia
The Namibian bottle tree is one of the deadliest trees on Earth. The milky sap of the plant is highly poisonous and was used in the past by the Bushmen as a poison for arrowheads. The bottle tree was so named because of the shape of its trunk, and the tree is commonly found in the mountainous desert regions of Namibia, making its resemblance to a bottle uncanny. The flowers of the Bottle Tree have been described as "beautiful". The flowers are usually pink or white, fading to dark red towards the center.
9. Wawona Tree
Location: USA
The Wawona tree is a former Sequoia tree that grew in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, USA. After its fall, the tree was converted into a tunnel. A passage was carved into the tree in 1881 and it has been a popular tourist attraction ever since. The Wawona tree fell in 1969 due to a large mass of snow accumulating on its top. The estimated age of this sequoia is 2,300 years.
8. Baobab
Location: Madagascar
These magnificent trees, endemic to Madagascar, are over 1000 years old. Baobab is an endangered tree species. Many trees of this species reach more than 80 meters in height, and their trunks grow up to 25 meters in girth. The swollen trunks of baobab trees are a source of water, supplying it during the dry season. Baobab flowers only bloom for 24 hours. These flowers are depicted on the Madagascar 100 franc banknote.
7. Bombaxes (Silk Cotton Trees) Ta Prohm (Ta Prohm)
Location: Cambodia
These trees are very difficult to find and there is only a certain place where you can see them when traveling through Southeast Asia. The trees are the most distinctive feature of the Ta Prokhm Temple. The roots of Bombaxes entwine the ancient temple, and the trees themselves grow to impressive heights. No less stunning Ficus Stranglers can also be found near the temple. The temple itself is included in the UNESCO list as one of the World Heritage Sites.
6. Hyperion
Location: California, USA
Hyperion is a California sequoia and the tallest tree in the world. Trees typically live for about 1200-1800 years. Hyperion reaches 115.5 meters in height and almost 9 meters in diameter. This means that Hyperion is 5 stories taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is estimated that about 95% of all redwoods have been cut down, and the giant trees are now protected as “vulnerable.”
5. Peach Palm (Pejibaye Palm)
Location: Costa Rica and Nicaragua
This tree is native to Central and South America, although its homeland is Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The peach palm is armed with rows of black, sharp thorns that are arranged in rings along the entire trunk from the roots to the top of the tree. Typically this palm tree grows to about 20 meters. The leaves reach 3 meters in length. Native Americans typically ate the fruits of this palm after they had fermented, and it formed a large part of their diet. The fermented fruit of the peach palm remains a popular delicacy to this day.
4. Crooked forest of the city of Gryfino
Location: Poland
In Western Poland, near the town of Gryfino, you can find about 400 of these strange trees. It is believed that these trees were twisted by human intervention, although their purpose remains a mystery. Some believe that they were intended for making bent wooden furniture, ribs for boat hulls, or used to make yokes for ploughs, pulled by oxen. Be that as it may, the outbreak of World War II forced those who grew them to abandon these trees and now they are a mystery.
3. Baobab Sunland
Location: South Africa
The Sunland Baobab is a tree located near Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo Province, South Africa, that has been turned into a bar. The tree is naturally hollow and in 1933, a small bar was opened in it, capable of seating 15-20 people. This is one of the tallest baobab trees in South Africa, and apparently the widest tree in all of Africa. The tree reaches 4 meters in girth and 20 meters in height. It is also one of the oldest trees in the world, as it is over 6,000 years old!
2. Burmis tree
Location: Canada
The Burmis tree is a soft pine tree native to Alberta, Canada. The tree is unusual in that it died in the 1970s but is still standing without any signs of rot. It is estimated that he was 600-750 years old at the time of his death. The tree was blown down in 1998, but local residents put it back up. A few years later, vandals broke one of the branches, and local residents again came to the rescue, reattaching the branch. The Burmis tree is one of the most photographed trees in the world.
1. Tree of Life
Location: Bahrain
This tree, 9.75 meters high, is approximately 400 years old. The tree is unusual in that it is located in the desert and is the only growing tree for miles around, and it has no access to water. The mesquite tree's root system extends deep underground. It is believed that this is how the tree obtains water, however, it still remains a mystery. If you search for this tree on Google Earth, you can see how remote it is. The tree is a major tourist attraction and is visited by 50,000 people annually. Local residents believe that the Garden of Eden was located here. The Tree of Life is protected by UNESCO and is included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
An innumerable number of amazing trees grow on the territory of our planet. We will introduce you to some of them in this article.
We are all accustomed to the way the trees around us look in everyday life, so if we see something that is not like them, at first we cannot even believe that such unusual trees exist - but they exist, they grow beautifully where we are not there and are taken for granted by local residents
Take, for example, the baobab - well, which of us in our right mind would call such a tree “ordinary”? Moreover, it does not even have rings to determine its age - scientists have to be content with the results of radiocarbon dating when figuring it out
No less interesting is another type of baobab, familiar to Madagascar landscapes - the teapot baobab. it is not a separate species - any of the six species of baobab native to Madagascar can take the form of a teapot or bottle. What this is connected with is unknown, but most likely in this way the trees take care of moisture, which is not so abundant in these latitudes
Another interesting tree is the rainbow eucalyptus, which we wrote about earlier. The bark of this amazing tree literally attracts the eye - it seems as if some artist “worked” here. Eucalyptus trees themselves, even those without “rainbow” bark, are amazing trees. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that the tallest trees ever found were eucalyptus trees. For example, one report from 1872 mentions a fallen eucalyptus tree that was over 150 meters high!
Another amazing tree that does not have growth rings is the dragon tree or simply dragon tree. Because of the red sap that immediately appears at the site of the cut in the bark, it is also sometimes called the dragon's blood tree.
Cotton trees (Ceibs) that grow on the ruins of an ancient Cambodian temple complex deserve special attention - their roots have long since formed a single whole with the ancient stone buildings of the majestic temple
Ceibas are interesting in themselves, not only in the context of a picturesque “symbiosis” with the ruins of an ancient temple. Their unusualness lies in the fact that, being essentially representatives of the palm tree family, they grow mainly in arid regions of the planet, and therefore their entire trunk and branches are covered with a dense layer of thorns, allowing them to retain the moisture so necessary for life
Sometimes trees are found so unusual that they are given their own names. This happens for a number of reasons - due to great age, unusual appearance or colossal size. One such unusual tree is the intermountain bristlecone pine Methuselah, discovered in 1953 in the Inyo National Forest in eastern California. The uniqueness of this pine is that it is one of the oldest and still living trees in the world - according to experts, Methuselah turned 4842 this year. In order to prevent acts of vandalism and protect the pine tree, its exact location is not disclosed
Another ancient tree with its own name is located in another North American state - South Carolina. We are talking about the 1,500-year-old Angel Oak, growing in the wilderness of John's Island. The height of the oak is 20 meters, the diameter is 2.7 meters, and the most spreading branch reaches 27 meters in length. This oak received such an unusual name from the last owners of these lands - the Angel family
Also worthy of attention is the thickest tree in the world - the Tule Tree, growing next to one of the churches in the Mexican city of Santa Maria del Tule
The tree belongs to the Taxodium family, found only in Mexico, its trunk girth is 11.62 meters, the trunk circumference is 36.2 meters, the Tule Tree reaches a height of 35.4 meters, although it used to be slightly taller. According to different versions, it is from one and a half to six thousand years old
The oldest olive tree grows on the island of Crete - the Elaia Buibon tree. Despite the fact that it is already about 4 thousand years old, it, surprisingly, still continues to bear fruit.
And last of all, I would like to dwell on perhaps the most unique of the currently known trees - relatively young, in comparison with the above-mentioned long-livers, “only” the 400-year-old Tree of Life, which grew in the middle of the desert in Bahrain, not far from the city of Jebel Dukhan . It seems amazing. that such a huge tree survived and grew in conditions of extremely scarce water supplies, and it still remains a mystery how miraculously it succeeded...
Today we want to bring to your attention the most unusual trees growing on our Earth. As you know, the most common plant on our planet that deserves a special place in our lives is a tree. There are more than 100,000 species of them growing on our land. Where and how a person uses it, but we pay attention to the trees around us only if they are somehow different from their neighbors, either in size, or in bizarre shapes or flowers and fruits.
- Dragon tree (Dracaenacinnabari) or more precisely Dracaena vermilion. It grows on the island of Socotra. Outwardly, this miracle of nature resembles an umbrella turned inside out with a green cap of foliage and a massive trunk. The height of an adult tree is 10 m. The dragon tree received this name because of its resinous red sap. The flowers of the tree appear during the monsoon rains in the form of branched panicles.
- Australian baobab - "Bottle tree" or Adansonia Gregorii, named for its resemblance to a glass container - a bottle. It grows in the mountains of Namibia, its milky sap is very poisonous; in ancient times, hunters lubricated their arrows with it. During the flowering period, beautiful pink-red flowers appear on the branches of the bottle tree.
- The largest tree in the world grows in the “Giant Forest” of Sequoia National Park, California, USA in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Sierra Nevada, California). The height of the long-lived sequoia "General Sherman", according to various estimates about 2800 years, is 83 meters, the trunk girth is more than 24 meters, the crown circumference is approximately 33 meters. But the most interesting thing is that the tree is still growing and increases its trunk diameter by 1.5 cm per year. But in 2006, due to heavy snowfalls, one of the branches of the tree broke off, the diameter of which was about two meters and the length was more than 30 meters, but this incident did not in any way affect its status as the “Largest Tree in the World” growing in our time. But the tallest tree growing here in California is the Hyperion tree, its height reaches 115.5 meters, thereby exceeding the height of the Statue of Liberty. These are the giants we have on our planet.
- Madagascar baobab or Adansonia Grandidieri, a mighty tree about 80 meters high and about 25 meters in girth, grows on the island of Madagascar. Some baobab trees have been growing for over 1000 years. The even and smooth trunk of the baobab accumulates a large amount of water, so it easily tolerates drought. Although the white flowers of the baobab are short-lived when in bloom, once in bloom they last only a day, but they have received the attention of the Treasury of Madagascar. On the 100-franc bill they are depicted, the flowers of the Madagascar baobab.
- Baobab Sunland of South Africa, located near Modjadjiskloof, the tree is hollow inside, so in 1933 it was equipped with a mini bar with 15-20 seats. The tree itself is not tall, about 20 meters, but its age is simply impressive, it is more than 6000 years old.
- Tree of Life, Bahrain. In the middle of a large desert, one single green tree, 9.75 meters high, has been living simply in extreme conditions for more than 400 years. Local residents called this place the Garden of Eden; it is still not known exactly how the tree survives in these conditions; there is an assumption that its roots go deep into the ground, and from there they take life-giving moisture for growth and life. UNESCO took this Tree of Life under its protection, including it in the list of “World Heritage Sites”.
- Rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) with a beautiful multi-colored trunk is a tree that is also a long-liver of our planet and quite tall, sometimes growing up to 100 meters in height or more. The beautiful coloring of the bark comes from the constant peeling off of old strips of bark, exposing the bright light green, young bark. Over time, the bark hardens and dulls, becoming dark green, then blue and purple, and then changing from orange-red to crimson-brown. These are the constant transformations and updates that occur with the eucalyptus bark, constantly changing its appearance.
- The Cannon Tree (Couroupitaguianensis) grows in South America with unusual cannonball-shaped fruits. The tree is very prolific, producing 200-300 kernels with a diameter of 15-25 centimeters. A favorite tree of many subtropical botanical gardens, as it attracts with its original fruits that cling to almost the entire tree trunk. But coming close to it, much less standing under it, is dangerous; there is a risk of getting hit by a cannonball of impressive weight.
- The Great Banyan or Ficus Bengali, this tree with the largest crown area, grows in the Indian Botanical Garden in the city of Khauri. Looking from the outside at this green miracle of nature, you will not immediately understand that in fact this is not a grove or a shady oak grove, but one tree. This beauty has another name: “Forest Tree”, since it has not one, but several thousand trunks at once. It is about 250 years old and occupies a fairly impressive area of 1.5 hectares and has 3,300 aerial roots.