The most unusual trees and shrubs in the world. Ten most amazing trees in the world
Capable of presenting amazing surprises to people. They will be discussed below.
Today, more than 60,000 species of trees are known. Among them there are bread, dairy, soap and even sausage trees. From this article you will learn many interesting facts about the most unusual trees growing in different places on our planet.
Breadfruit
One of the most unusual trees is the bread tree. It grows in tropical countries, but its homeland is New Guinea and the territory of Oceania. They learned about it only in the 17th century thanks to English sailors.
The sailors watched in amazement as the indigenous people ate the fruits of an unusual tree instead of bread. Then the sailors took seedlings of the amazing plant and planted them in their area.
However, nothing good came of it. In the 18th century, it was successfully bred in Jamaica. The fruits of this plant became one of the main products that were fed to slaves.
The breadfruit tree has a strong trunk and an extensive crown. It grows rapidly and can reach a height of 25 meters. The length of the fruit is about 30-35 centimeters, and the weight is about 4-5 kg.
Outwardly, they are somewhat similar to a melon and have a pimply surface. They grow in clusters, both on the trunk and at the base of large branches. They contain sweet pulp inside.
Breadfruit can survive without water for several months and can withstand heat up to 40 degrees Celsius.
An interesting fact is that this unusual tree can bear fruit for 9 months a year. Every year, about 600-700 fruits are collected from one tree, for as long as 70 years.
As mentioned earlier, breadfruit is used in cooking: they are boiled, fried, ground into flour or eaten raw.
They taste somewhat like potatoes.
However, they spoil quite quickly, so they have to be eaten within a short period of time. But if you make crackers out of them, they will be stored for quite a long time.
The Samoan natives came up with an interesting way to preserve this “bread”: they wrap the fruits in banana leaves and then simply bury them in the soil.
Soon, they begin to ferment, turning into an alcohol-containing mass, which allows them not to spoil for a long time.
The remaining parts of this tree are also widely used on the farm: its leaves are fed to livestock, and its seeds are fried.
milk tree
The milk tree is an extremely unusual tree. It is also called "brosium" or "cow tree". Today it can be seen in South and Central America, as well as in Asian countries.
It often grows up to 30 meters in height. The very name of the tree suggests that it produces sap, for which it is actually grown. Unlike other plants, its milk is not poisonous, but rather healthy and pleasant to the taste.
Externally, this juice resembles regular milk, only it is thicker and has a unique aroma. Even in the hottest season, the milk does not spoil for up to a whole week if it is first boiled over a fire.
The first Europeans to learn about the milk tree were the Spanish conquerors. Arriving at their home, they talked about a wonderful tree that could be milked. An incision is made on the trunk, and a vessel is placed under it, where this unusual juice actually flows. At one time you can collect 3-4 liters of milk.
Local aborigines drink this juice the same way we drink cow's or goat's milk. In addition, it can be used to obtain wax suitable for making candles and chewing gum.
Candleberry
The candle tree, or parmentiera edible, is so named because of the unusual shape of its fruits. In addition to being similar in appearance to candles, they also contain oil, which makes them burn very well.
The candle tree grows in tropical jungles. People have learned to use it for medical purposes.
Soapberry
An unusual soap tree grows in the tropical forests of Asia and America. This interesting plant, and especially its fruits, contains many saponins - substances with detergent properties. Once upon a time, Indians successfully bleached fabric with the bark of this tree.
Today, soap tree is widely used in cosmetology. Its seeds are extremely hard, so rosaries and various wooden decorations are made from them.
Its fruits are called soap nuts because they can serve as a substitute for washing powder. They are absolutely hypoallergenic, odorless, and also do not cause any harm.
sausage tree
The sausage tree, or kigelia, grows in African countries. It grows up to 10 m and has a spreading crown. It grows large flowers and unusual sausage-shaped fruits 50-60 cm long. In Europe, people learned about this tree only a couple of centuries ago.
Interestingly, sausage trees only grow singly and never next to each other. With the onset of heat, they shed their leaves to save water supplies, and with the arrival of the rainy season, leaves appear on their branches again.
During the daytime, the unusual flowers are completely closed, and at sunset they open, showing their scarlet inflorescences. The only drawback of these flowers is their unpleasant smell, which is necessary to attract pollinators.
Before eating the fruits of this unusual tree, they must be subjected to heat treatment, as they are very poisonous. An interesting fact is that local residents have learned to make an alcoholic drink from them.
The fruits have incredibly strong skin. So, in order to get seeds from them, you must first dry the fruit and only then split it with an ax.
Trees of unusual shapes from all over the world.
There are many talented people in the world whose works inspire delight, but the best artist in the world is undoubtedly nature. She sometimes gives birth to such masterpieces, looking at which you freeze in admiration. This review contains photographs of trees whose real existence is hard to believe.
1. Rainbow Eucalyptus
The smooth bark of the eucalyptus tree consists of many thin layers that have different colors and change throughout the life of the amazing tree.
2. Serrated cherry
The shiny red-brown surface of the trunk looks especially impressive in winter.
3. Cotton tree
The trunk and branches of the tree are covered with very large prickly thorns.
4. Jaboticakba
An evergreen tree with cauliflory - the formation of fruits directly on the trunk and main branches.
5. Adenium - the ominous Desert Rose
All parts of the plant are poisonous, so much so that in ancient times arrowheads were impregnated with it.
6. Ceiba
It is one of the largest and tallest trees in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere.
7. Dragon tree (Dracaena dracaena)
Dracaena means “female dragon” in Greek.
8. Quiver tree (Aloe dichotomous)
In the past, the Bushmen and Hottentots used hollowed out tree branches as quivers for arrows.
9. Baobab (Adansonia palmata)
The amazing tree is not only the thickest in the world, but also has no growth rings.
10. Chilean pine (Araucaria chilean)
The tree has such hard and prickly leaves that birds do not land on its branches.
11. Twisted trees
Trees that defend their right to life.
12. Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia)
The name of the tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century.
13. Xanthorrhoea (Tree-grass)
These slow-growing trees are fire-resistant and live up to 600 years.
14. Bleeding Wood (African Teak)
The tree gets its name from the red-scarlet resin that begins to ooze at the slightest cut.
15. Manchineel tree
It is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most dangerous tree in the world - all parts of the plant are poisonous and deadly.
16. Spatodea campanulata (African tulip tree)
One of the most beautifully flowering trees in the world is on the list of dangerous invasive species, the spread of which threatens biodiversity.
17. Quindioya wax palm
The tallest palm tree in the world is the national tree of Colombia.
18. Sequoia evergreen
At 115.61 m tall, the giant Hyperion tree is the tallest tree on the planet.
19. Ficus bengal
The Great Banyan tree, the tree with the largest crown area in the world, is located in the Indian Botanical Garden at Howrah.
20. Walking palm (Socrates bareroot)
These unusual palm trees move slowly along the ground, covering up to 20 meters per year.
21. Candle tree (Parmentiera edible)
The fruits of this tree contain a huge amount of vegetable oils, which is why they are used as candles.
22. Virginian snowflower
An unusually beautiful tree native to the USA.
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