Just when you thought you’ve seen so much of the Earth; these amazing trees will prove to you that nature will never run out of things to show off. I was just actually scrolling around social media when I came upon a post sharing some photos of the world’s most incredible trees. Long story short, I started browsing and researching trees all over the world, and then voila!
Let me share with you some of the most amazing trees in the world:
1. Socotra Dragon Blood Tree (Yemen)
Commonly known as Dragon Blood Tree, these unbelievably looking trees can be found at the center of the Arabian Sea – on the island of Socotra in Yemen. There are actually varied species of these crazy looking tree and 37% of them are endemic in Socotra.
It’s fondly called Dragon Blood Tree because of the red resin that can be found inside the tree’s trunk. According to local legends, the first tree actually came from the blood of an injured dragon that had been fighting with an elephant! Truth or not, the resin of these trees has been utilized for years for medicine and dyes – however, only well-trained harvesters are permitted to extract the resin to avoid damaging the tree.
2. Baobab Trees (Madagascar)
Massive, right? These gigantic Baobab trees can actually grow up to 100 feet tall and 35 feet wide! As it is located in the African savannah, it is known to be the tree of life in the area because of its fascinating ability to store a large volume of water (up to 32,000 gallons!). It acts as a good source of shelter, clothing, food, and water for both human and animal inhabitants of the place.
3. Methuselah Tree (California)
How resilient can trees be? Well, the Methuselah tree can stay up to 5,000 years! According to research, this ancient bristlecone pine standing still in the White Mountains of California has been on earth for 4,851 years! When talking about endurance, maybe it’s about time we take inspiration from the longevity of the Methuselah.
4. Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree (Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea)
At least I’ve seen one of these amazing trees in my lifetime. Up until now, I’m still amazed by this Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees (also called Mindanao Gum) because of the splendid array of colors that you can actually see on it. According to research, when the bark of the Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree begins to strip off, the tree’s chlorophyll gets exposed resulting in a brighter green in color. As it ages, it pigments called tannins begin to fill in – and the combination of these pigments and the aging chlorophyll then results in one of the most colorful trees in the world!
Also, Eucalyptus trees can grow as tall as 60 – 75 meters with a truck that could go as wide as 94 inches in diameter.
5. Pine Trees of Crooked Forest (Poland)
The pine trees that can be found in the Crooked Forest of Poland are both amazing and odd. If looked closely, these 400+ pines bend sharply to the northern direction and then curves up after a sideways excursion of around one to three meters.
While there has not been solid proof as to how these pines ended as such, it has been believed that to have resulted in a man-made method of growing trees. Speculations have it that long ago, these were purposely curved to make timber that will be used in boat building.
6. Dendrosenecio (Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, and Aberdare Mountains)
Dendrosenecio Keniodendron, also known as Giant Groundsel, is actually not a tree. But both amazing and gigantic so I’m adding it up to my list.
Giant Groundsel is a faraway relative of the sunflower family that only grows in high altitudes of the Afrotropic – Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, and Aberdare Mountains. It can grow as tall as six meters (approximately 20 feet).
7. The Trees of Dead Vlei (Namibia)
Literally translating to “Dead Marsh”, the trees found in Dead Vlei have actually lived for a long period of time – back when Dead Vlei had a river running and nourishing these trees that have grown in the area. Sadly, over 900 years ago, the surrounding dunes, as well as the climate blocked the river making the Dead Vlei what it is at present.
Dead Vlei has become so dry that it also became so difficult for the trees to decompose. That’s why even after a thousand years, the scorched trees are still there in the barren forest!
8. Pando Tree (Fishlake National Forest, Utah)
No, that’s not a forest. That’s just a single tree – the largest organism in the world – called Pando. Pando, which literally means “I spread” in Latin, is a massive grove of quaking aspens. If your Science teacher taught you about this, then you can easily recall that Aspens have the unique ability to produce genetically identical offspring through offshoots directly from their root system. Because they have this amazing ability to multiply asexually through their root system, Aspens may look like a colonizer in a large land area.
9. Wind-Swept Trees in New Zealand (Slope Point, South Island)
Bad hair day? Well, that can’t shake the trees of Slope Point, New Zealand. These trees that can be found in the southernmost point in New Zealand’s South Island are constantly lashed with fierce and cold southwesterly winds that blow up from Antarctica. How strong? Well, the wind intense and relentless blown from Antarctica can go as brute as 2000 miles, resulting in the windswept form of these trees.
And while this place is a unique and interesting place to visit, only the sheep herd in this area and all animals and humans have long abandoned Slope Point.
10. Beech Trees of Dark Hedges (Northern Ireland)
What do these trees remind you of? Oh, Game of Thrones. Yeah, right. These beech trees along Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim, Northern Ireland make up what is known as the Dark Hedges. It has actually been used as a location of the renowned television series and has become a popular destination among tourists.
Why not? With the trees forming like an atmospheric tunnel leading to a mysterious dimension, who wouldn’t get fascinated and excited to see it?
Sadly, after almost 250 years of existence, the beeches trees are now threatened to their final years. According to tree experts, these ‘old age pensioners’ have become very delicate – and already have a hard time healing – most especially with the number of storms that pass through the area. These aging trees are said to have 10 years left – until when they could last, only time can tell.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know all these amazing trees in the world as much as I did in researching them. Now, I miss hiking and going to the depths of the mountains already. Hopefully, I can make a version of the Philippine’s most amazing trees as well. Fingers crossed. That would mean more hiking and travel soon? Exciting.
For updates, check my Facebook and Instagram accounts! See you on the trails!
Interested for some amazing reads? Check out here:
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT COUNTRY HAS THE MOST NUMBER OF ISLANDS?
WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN THE PHILIPPINES?
DISCOVER PHILIPPINES: UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES THAT YOU CAN VISIT!
Dakilanglaagan 