Buzz
At first glance, trees might seem rather dull – they simply stand there, offering seasonal beauty in the winter and bearing fruit in the fall. However, trees are truly captivating lifeforms. They operate on a timescale far beyond human understanding, and because their actions are so gradual, we often fail to notice their incredible processes. Here are ten trees that stand out, whether due to their unique biology or the ways humans have influenced them.
10. Sculpted Trees
Arborsculpture involves shaping living trees to form specific structures, much like bonsai but on a larger scale. Axel Erlandson is regarded as the master of arborsculpture, with his famous ‘Circus Trees’ continuing to attract visitors. By guiding the tree’s growth while still alive, it is possible to create living art or even functional furniture, which can be harvested once it achieves the desired form. While Erlandson’s creations are the most well-known example of this art (see http://www.arborsmith.com/treecircus.html), there are numerous other artists practicing this craft today.
9. The Boab Prison Tree
Located outside the town of Derby in Western Australia, the Boab Prison Tree stands as a unique testament to both nature and human ingenuity. Its massive trunk, measuring 14 meters in circumference, has been hollowed out to create a small holding cell once used to temporarily imprison prisoners. The police would bring their captives to the tree, using it as a makeshift jail overnight before continuing their journey. This Boab is around 1500 years old, and although visitors are asked to view it from behind a protective fence, many still can't resist the urge to step inside. The Boab of Derby isn't the only one with a prison history—there’s another of similar size near the town of Wyndham, though it's less frequently visited due to its remote location.
8. Dragon Blood Tree
The Socotra Archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean off Somalia's coast, is home to the Dragon Blood tree, a remarkable species for several reasons. Its trunk remains bare, with branches only at the very top, where sharp, spiky leaves emerge. This peculiar form is a result of the tree being part of the monocotyledon group, which includes grasses, as opposed to dicotyledons, the typical classification for most trees. Beyond its striking exterior, the Dragon Blood tree also reveals an intriguing interior: when its bark is pierced, a vivid red sap flows out. This crimson liquid, known as Dragon Blood, is harvested, dried, and utilized both medicinally and as a dye. While the people of Socotra use it as a cure-all, it is predominantly employed in Western countries as a varnish for violins.
7. Jabuticaba
Jabuticaba, also known as Myrciaria cauliflora, is a rare and fascinating fruit tree indigenous to Brazil. Its fruits are unique in that they grow directly from the trunk, making it appear as though the tree is leaking black, oily droplets. These small, dark fruits are often compared to grapes, and are typically consumed fresh or used to make juice and wine. Even more remarkable are the white, hairy blossoms that appear on the trunk before giving way to the fruit. The tree is capable of flowering and producing fruit several times throughout the year, provided the environment is favorable.
6. Pennantia baylisiana
What makes this tree unique? On the surface, it appears to be just another ordinary tree, lacking any particularly extraordinary traits. However, it is rare in the truest sense of the word—this tree is the rarest of its kind in the wild. A single specimen of Pennantia baylisiana exists on the Three Kings Islands, off the northern coast of New Zealand. Since the only known tree is female, natural reproduction is impossible, as self-pollination typically results in sterile fruit. Thankfully, it is possible to propagate new trees by taking shoots from the original, and today, this species can be found in a few locations. Nevertheless, for the species to thrive in the long term, locating a male specimen would be essential for successful reproduction.
5. Kauri
While giant redwoods are widely known for their immense size, the Kauri tree of northern New Zealand is among the largest trees in the world in terms of wood volume. These majestic trees can reach heights of up to 50 meters and have circumferences as wide as 15 meters. Though not as tall as the sequoia, the Kauri retains a consistent girth throughout its trunk, unlike the narrowing of redwoods as they ascend. In the 19th century, the Kauri was heavily harvested for its durable wood, which was prized for its strength. Kauri Gum—semi-fossilized resin—was also a valuable commodity, particularly in varnish production. Those who extracted this resin from buried deposits were known as 'Gum-diggers.' Remarkably, the wood of the Kauri can endure for thousands of years, and timber buried in bogs for over 50,000 years can still be unearthed and worked into usable materials.
4. Boojum Tree
At first glance, the Boojum tree of Baja California may be mistaken for a cactus rather than a tree. Its slender trunks can grow in twisting, serpentine shapes due to the remarkably soft interior wood, and the tree can reach up to 20 meters in height. As a desert native, its small leaves densely cover the trunk to minimize water loss. When in bloom, the tree produces a cloud of creamy flowers atop its trunk. The Boojum tree takes its name from Lewis Carroll's nonsensical poem ‘The Hunting of the Snark,’ a fitting tribute to the tree’s peculiar appearance.
“But if ever I meet with a Boojum, that day, In a moment (of this I am sure), I shall softly and suddenly vanish away — And the notion I cannot endure!”
3. Chapel Oak
Le Chêne Chapelle (The Oak Chapel) in Allouville-Bellefosse is a remarkable oak tree that has been hollowed out to house two chapels within its vast trunk. The tree itself is around 800 years old, with the chapels being added in the 1600s. Although struck by lightning, which burned its core, the oak managed to survive and remained standing, enabling local priests to create a chapel inside it. Today, the tree shows signs of aging and the strain of supporting a religious site, requiring additional struts for support. Nevertheless, the chapel continues to hold services, with a mass celebrated twice a year. A staircase winds around the trunk to access the upper chapel.
2. Root Bridges
Root bridges represent a unique form of arboriculture practiced in the forests of northern India. For centuries, the Khasis people have utilized the rubber trees of Cherrapunji to grow living bridges across streams and rivers. To create such a bridge, a log is hollowed out and placed across the gap to be crossed, and the roots of the tree are directed into the log. As the roots grow, they seek solid ground to anchor the bridge. Once the roots have sufficiently intertwined to form a bridge, soil, stones, or other wood are added over them for protection as people traverse the structure.
1. Rainbow Eucalyptus
The Rainbow Eucalyptus is a tree with bark so vividly colored it almost seems like a prank. Native to the Philippines, this tree regularly sheds its outer bark to reveal fresh, green layers underneath. Over time, the bark transitions through a spectrum of colors—green, blue, purple, orange, and finally brown—before being discarded. Because the bark sheds in uneven patches, the tree showcases a mosaic of these colors, creating a stunning, kaleidoscopic display. While this tree can thrive in areas free from frost, in the Philippines, it is mainly grown for paper production rather than as an ornamental tree.
