Every day, going to work or just walking, we see a huge variety of trees that have bored us for a long time. Whether it is a birch, an oak or a spruce, it does not matter, since these trees meet us regularly and they do not cause any interest in us. However, do not forget that in addition to exotic fruits, plants and mushrooms, there are no less interesting trees in the world that can leave an impression for the rest of your life.
We present to your attention the five most unusual trees in the world.
Dracaena dragon or simply Dragon tree is a tropical plant. It grows in Africa, as well as in Southeast Asia. The dragon tree has gained popularity due to its unusual crown, which is divided into many branches, therefore it is often used as an ornamental plant. Not less than interesting fact is the resin of the tree, which has a dark red color. In ancient times, the resin of the Dragon tree was believed to have healing properties.
- The dragon tree is a long-liver, as some trees are up to 9 thousand years old.
Baobab
The baobab is distinguished by its trunk thickness, which can reach up to 8 meters in diameter, which is why it is one of the thickest trees in the world. This tree It has edible fruits that look like cucumbers. The Baobab fruit is popular with monkeys, which is why the tree is sometimes referred to as "monkey breadfruit".
Cypress
Perhaps the best example of all the grandeur and beauty of such a tree as cypress is Caddo Lake, which is located in the east of Texas. Two types of cypresses grow on the territory of this lake - swamp and Arizona. Unlike land-grown cypresses, marsh and Arizona cypresses have leaves rather than needles, which gives the lake extra beauty in the cold season when the trees begin to shed their leaves.
It is worth noting that cypress is a fairly tall plant, as its length can reach fifty meters in height.
Wisteria
Surely many of you have watched the wonderful film "Avatar", in which from time to time featured sacred tree Ava. The most interesting lies in the fact that the Japanese wisteria could well be the prototype for this tree, since it is similar to many. Wisteria has been recognized by landscape designers for its beautiful hanging flowers, which is why it is often used as an ornamental plant to decorate plots.
Unusual trees photo
Able to present amazing surprises to a person. They will be discussed below.
To date, more than 60,000 species of trees are known. Among them there are bread, dairy, soap and even sausage trees. In this article, you will learn many interesting facts about the most unusual trees growing in different places of our planet.
Breadfruit
One of the most unusual trees is breadfruit. 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.
Sailors watched with surprise as the indigenous people eat the fruits of an unusual tree instead of bread. Then the sailors took seedlings of an amazing plant and planted them in their area.
However, nothing good came of it. In the 18th century, it was successfully bred on. The fruits of this plant became one of the main products that fed the 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 melons and have a pimply surface. They grow in clusters, both on the trunk and at the base of large branches. Inside them is a sweet pulp.
Breadfruit is able to go without water for several months, and also 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 harvested 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 rather 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 natives of Samoa 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 deteriorate for a long time.
The remaining parts of this tree are also widely used on the farm: its leaves are fed to livestock, and the 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.
Often it grows up to 30 meters in height. The very name of the tree suggests that it produces juice, for which it is actually grown. Unlike other plants, it is not poisonous, but rather useful and pleasant to the taste.
Outwardly, this juice resembles ordinary milk, only it is thicker and has a peculiar aroma. Even in the hottest time, the milk does not deteriorate 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 marvelous tree that can 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 natives drink such juice in the same way as we drink cow's or goat's milk. In addition, wax can be obtained from it, suitable for the manufacture of candles and chewing gum.
Candleberry
Candle tree or edible parmentiera, so named because of unusual shape their fruits. Besides the fact that they look like candles, they also contain oil, which makes them burn very well.
The candle tree grows in the tropical jungle. People have learned to use it for medical purposes.
Soapberry
An unusual soap tree grows in tropical forests Asia and America. This interesting plant, and especially its fruits, contains many saponins - substances that have detergent properties. Once upon a time, Indians successfully bleached fabric with the bark of this tree.
Today, the soap tree is widely used in cosmetology. Its seeds are extremely hard, so rosaries and various wooden ornaments are made from them.
Its fruits are called soap nuts, as they may well serve as a substitute for washing powder. They are absolutely hypoallergenic, do not smell, and also do not cause any harm.
sausage tree
Sausage tree or kigelia, grows in African countries. It grows up to 10 m and has a spreading crown. Large flowers and unusual fruits grow on it, having the shape of a sausage 50-60 cm long. In Europe, they learned about this tree only a couple of centuries ago.
Interestingly, sausage trees grow only singly and never next to each other. With the onset of heat, they shed their leaves to save water, and with the advent of the rainy season, leaves reappear on their branches.
In the daytime, unusual flowers are completely closed, and at sunset they open, showing their scarlet inflorescences. The disadvantage of these flowers is only 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 locals learned how to make an alcoholic drink out of them.
The fruits have an incredibly hard skin. So, in order to get seeds from them, it is necessary to initially dry the fruit and only then split it with an ax.
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 just does not use it, but we pay attention to the trees around us only if they differ in some way from their neighbors either in size or in bizarre shapes or flowers and fruits.
- Dragon tree (Dracaenacinnabari) or more precisely cinnabar-red dracaena. It grows on the island of Socotra. Outwardly, this miracle of nature resembles an umbrella turned inside out with a green hat of foliage and a massive trunk. The height of an adult tree is 10 m. The dragon tree got its name because of the resinous red juice. Flowers near the tree appear during the monsoon rains in the form of branched panicles.
- Australian baobab - "Bottle Tree" or Adansonia Gregory (Adansonia Gregorii), named for its resemblance to glass containers - a bottle. It grows in the mountains of Namibia, its milky juice 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" national park"Sequoia", California, USA in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Sierra Nevada, California). The height of the long-lived sequoia "General Sherman" (GeneralSherman), according to various estimates, is about 2800 years old, is 83 meters, the girth of the trunk is more than 24 meters, the circumference of the crown is about 33 meters. But what is the most interesting tree still growing and increasing 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 is about two meters and the length is more than 30 meters, but this incident did not affect its status as "The Most big tree 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 on our planet.
- Madagascar baobab or Adansonia Grandidieri (Adansonia Grandidieri), a mighty tree about 80 meters high and about 25 meters in girth, grows on the island of Madagascar. Some specimens of baobabs have been growing for over 1000 years. The even and smooth trunk of the baobab accumulates a large number of water, so it easily tolerates drought. Although the white flowers of the baobab are short-lived when flowering, having bloomed, they live only a day, but they were awarded the attention of the treasury of Madagascar. On the 100-franc note they are depicted, the flowers of the Madagascar baobab.
- Baobab Sunland South Africa located near Modjadjiskloof, the tree is hollow inside, so in 1933 it was equipped with a mini bar for 15-20 seats. The tree itself is not tall, about 20 meters, but its age is simply impressive, it is over 6000 years old.
- Tree of Life, Bahrain. In the midst of a large desert, a single green tree 9.75 meters high has been living in extreme conditions for more than 400 years. The locals 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 has taken 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 - a tree, 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 bright salad, young bark. Over time, the bark roughens and dulls, turning 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.
- With unusual fruits similar to cannonballs, the Cannon Tree (Couroupitaguianensis) grows in South America. 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 have stuck around almost the entire tree trunk. But getting close to it, and even more so standing under it, is dangerous, there is a risk of being hit by an impressive core.
- The Great Banyan or Ficus Bengal, this tree, which has the largest crown area, grows in the Indian Botanical Garden in the city of Khauri. Looking from the side at this green miracle of nature, you will not immediately understand that in fact it is not a grove or a shady oak forest, but one tree. This handsome man has another name "Forest Tree", as it has not one, but several thousand trunks at once. It is about 250 years old and occupies a rather impressive area of 1.5 hectares and has 3300 aerial roots.
amazing trees our planet
We are all accustomed to the sight of the trees around us and, passing by, do not pay much attention to them. But very unusual specimens also grow on our planet. Their appearance will not only surprise us, but also make us stop in amazement.
On our planet, there are many trees that are unusual for our eyes. But where they grow, the locals take them for granted and don't pay much attention to them.
Dragon Blood Tree - an amazing tree that does not have growth rings - a dragon tree or just a dragon. Because of the red sap that instantly oozes from the incision of the bark, it is sometimes also called the dragon's blood tree. The red resin of this tree is used in lipsticks, rituals and alchemy, and can be used as a breath freshener or toothpaste.
For example, not a single European will pass by the Baobab (Boabab) so as not to stop to look at and touch the giant. The inhabitants of Africa will no longer understand this delight. After all, for them it is an ordinary, unremarkable tree.
These unusual trees, which only grow on the island of Madagascar, can be up to 1,000 years old. Many of the specimens reach a height of 80 meters, and the girth of the trunk at the base can be up to 25 meters! The massive trunk serves as a source of water for the local fauna, especially during the dry season. From October to December, the baobab blossoms, covered with white flowers with purple stamens. The diameter of the flowers reaches 20 centimeters, they open in the late afternoon and wither and fall off after the night.
The appearance of the Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta), found only in the northern hemisphere, seems to have been worked by an unknown abstract artist. But in fact, the multi-colored bark is the work of mother nature. In addition to their bright appearance, the trees became famous for their colossal growth. It can reach seventy meters in height.
The ancient temple palace of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the centuries-old Cotton Trees (Ceiba pentandra) have long become one. Cotton trees are also called "ceibs". Because of this, the temple, along with the trees, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. In addition to the unique symbiosis with ancient ruins, trees have another outstanding feature. Their trunk and branches are densely dotted with thorns. Such a "spiky outfit" allows you to better retain valuable moisture.
Inyo National Forest contains the most ancient tree our planet. This is an intermountain bristlecone pine, which received the name "Methuselah". It was discovered by scientists in 1953. Only according to rough estimates, the tree is 4842 years old. The exact location of the amazing pine tree is kept secret in order to avoid acts of vandalism.
Tule tree (The Tree of Tule). 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. It is located on the square next to the church in Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2001 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Having been on the island of Crete, you can see the most ancient Olive Tree (Olea europaea). Its age is about four thousand years. Surprisingly, the tree still bears fruit.
Hyperion (a specimen of the evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens)) is the name of a giant mahogany that grows in American California. This is the tallest tree on Earth, its height is 115.5 meters, the diameter of the trunk near the ground is 9 meters. Hyperion is about 1800 years old. Compared to him, even a giant sequoia does not seem very tall...
Mimosalistnaya Jacaranda (Jacaranda Mimosifolia). These tall, up to 15 meters, sprawling trees are one of the favorite decorative elements of streets and squares (where the temperature allows). In addition to their decorative effect as a living plant, mimosole jacaranda and other large trees of the genus have a very valuable dense wood, highly valued in the world, and known as rosewood, used for the production of expensive furniture, luxury goods in the form of carved and inlaid metal products, as well as for making musical instruments.
Prickly palm, Nicaragua. This tree, or rather its special variety (Pejibaye), is common in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Its trunk is covered with sharp black needles, organized in wide stripes. The height of the palm tree can reach 20 meters, the length of the leaves - up to 3 meters. Previously, the natives used the fruits of this tree after fermentation, now they are also very popular among the inhabitants of Nicaragua.
Spathodea bell-shaped - Tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata - African Tulip Tree). Spatodea bell-shaped is a very beautiful and exotic plant. It is called the "African tulip tree" or "fountain tree" because of the numerous large bright red flowers that really resemble tulips in shape.
Banyan (Banyan Tree) in Asia, which is a shrine of Buddhists and Hindus. Its majestic crown is considered one of the largest in the world. The tree is named after the banyans or Hindu traders who sold their goods while sitting under this tree. The shape of this giant tree cannot be confused with anything: a majestic dome with aerial roots that descend from branches to the ground.
Schmidt's birch (Betula schmidtii) - iron tree, which grows in the southern part of Primorsky Krai, it is called the Schmidt birch (named after the Russian botanist F.B. Schmidt). This wood is one and a half times stronger than cast iron, it sinks in water, acids do not take it. A bullet fired from a pistol flies off its barrel. The wood of this tree can easily replace metal. Iron birch lives for about 400 years, it is the most durable birch of all birches on the planet. A tree cannot be cut down with an ax; it leaves almost no trace on the trunk. If you make a ship hull from iron birch, then you don’t need to paint it: it is not threatened by corrosion. Wood is not destroyed even by acids. In bending it is not inferior to wrought iron and is 1.5 times stronger than cast iron. If you shoot at this tree with a rifle, the bullet will bounce. Schmidt's birch is very rare; it grows in the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve.
Cannon tree (Couroupita guianensis) - will melt mainly in the northern part South America and in the Caribbean it is often accompanied by a warning sign: "Beware of falling cannonballs": Fruits begin to fall after ripening, and since each of them reaches 25 centimeters in diameter, they can easily kill a person.
The fastest growing plant is the Japanese madake bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides), which can grow more than 1 meter in a day.
The largest leaves are those of the Brazilian raffia tedigera palm (Raphia taedigera), which are over 22 meters long and almost 12 meters wide.
Chorisia or magnificent chorizia (Chorisia speciosa) - is one of the most beautiful trees cultivated in countries with a warm climate. Powerful thorns, so characteristic of the chorizia trunk, begin to appear at the end of the second - in the third year of life, although there are quite a few old trees with a barely pronounced thorniness. The flowers, which live for about 1 day, are practically odorless.
Ravenala Madagascar (Ravenala madagascariensis). Ravenala is often called the "well" tree. This low tree (4 m) has no branches, and huge leaves growing from the trunk and folded into a tube reach a length of 7 meters. In the middle of the tube is clean and cool water, which the plant receives from the soil. In such a tree can be up to 25 liters of water.
Kigelia (Kigelia africana). Within the territory of equatorial Africa on the tall trees inedible fruits grow that are very reminiscent of liverwurst. These trees are called kigelia, or "sausage" trees. Jewelry, dishes and cups are made from their fruits. Sometimes the fruits are painted and hung from the ceiling as amulets.
Wollemi pine (Wollemi Pine) is a tree of the genus Coniferous, of the Araucariaceae family, grows in Australia. One of the most ancient woody plants ("a peer of dinosaurs"), which was widespread on Earth in the Jurassic period. Until recently, it was considered an extinct fossil species. A very rare and valuable plant species listed in the Red Book. The market value of one tree is in the region of 5,000 thousand Australian dollars. In Russia it amazing plant can be seen in the botanical garden named after Nikolai Vasilyevich Tsitsin.
Puya Raymond (Puya raimondii). Puya Raymonda of the Bromeliad family, native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, has the largest inflorescence with a diameter of 2.5 meters and a height of about 12 meters, consisting of approximately 10,000 simple flowers. It is a pity that this amazing plant blooms only when it reaches the age of 150, and then dies.
Unlike people, a tree does not suffer from various diseases with age - part of the tree may die while other parts continue to grow, allowing the tree to exist for millennia. Trees are one of the most valuable and underestimated resources on the planet. According to the World Bank, the annual turnover of the wood market is 270 billion dollars. We are very dependent on trees, although we do not notice or realize this. Taking trees for granted, we do not understand that one day they may disappear for good.
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