When
you think of something being endangered, you probably automatically think of
animals. In the entire world, there are about 5,000 endangered species of
animals, and despite the importance of protecting these endangered animals;
there is also an importance in protecting endangered trees all over the world.
10. Loulu
If you’ve ever been to the Hawaiian Islands, you’ve
possibly seen one of these trees during your visit. The 25 different variations
of this tree are found on each island, some growing as large as 60 feet tall.
Each island has its own species and every species is distinct, not only in size
but where they grow and the color palm it provides. The trees only have one
trunk and have various branches that grow palms on the end. There are young
Loulu trees in many home
gardens –
you can grow one of these trees in a pot until they start to mature;
however, there are only about 300 Loulu trees in the wild.
9. Hinton’s Oak (Encino of Hinton)
You’ll find this tree in Mexico, mainly the southeast corner where
there are three known species that thrive in the dry desert areas. The neat
thing about the Hinton’s Oak tree is that the spring foliage is a bright red
color that eventually turns to a dark green before they fall off. The bark of
the tree is extremely dark, which sets a contrast to the red leaves. The trees
can grow as large as 49 feet and are extremely important to many inMexico, as the
wood of the tree is made to use handles for many utensils, such as knives.
8. St. Helena Gumwood
The St. Helena gumwood is definitely unique. In fact, it’s so
unique that St. Helena Island chose it to be their national tree. The tree grows with a crooked
trunk, but despite this it is able to support an umbrella-like canopy with an
endless amount of branches. During the winter and into the end of the spring
months, each branch produces white dangling flowers. Accompanied by the flowers
are leaves that can be up to 5 inches long. Not only are these leaves somewhat
large, but they are also hairy and can be a green color while others have more
of a grey tone to them. In St. Helena, the population of this tree was once so
large that is covered tropical forests all over.
7. African Blackwood (Mpingo)
In Swahili, the population of the African Blackwood continues to
diminish. The name comes from the color of its heartwood which is a color
closely resembling black. The tree is said to grow in areas where most other
trees or plants couldn’t, as it prefers infertile and rocky soil. The Mpingo is
also very slow growing, taking between 70-200 years to grow to a mature size
and many only grow to be able 9 feet. tall. It is the national tree of Tanzania
even though the tree can be found in about 26 different African countries,
including Ethiopia, Angola, Senegal, and many others. This tree is great for
those who do agricultural work as it is known to improve the fertility of the
soil as well as the soil’s stability. The Blackwood is a great source of food
for various herbivores as well as livestock as these animals will eat its leaves. Despite
being a very hardy tree (most of the mature trees are even able to survive a
fire), the population of the African Blackwood has been on the decline.
6. Monkey Puzzle
Just by the name, you can probably tell that this is a pretty
unique type of tree. Represented as the national tree of Chile, the Monkey
Puzzle can be seen all over Europe, especially in botanical gardens. Sometimes
called the living fossil, the Monkey Puzzle can live thousands of years. In
Chile, the tree is known as Pehuén to the Pehuenche people. These people have a
large history with the tree and often need it to provide a great part of their
diet. The Monkey Puzzle tree provides nuts that people as well as animals often eat and are said to be very
similar to pine nuts. The tree grows to about 131 feet tall but has a very
slender trunk. The branches are often described as being thick and reptilian
and the tree as a whole prefers to grow somewhere with a lot of rain, and cold
temperatures aren’t a bother.
5. Honduras Rosewood
You can find the Honduras rosewood in Belize, Southern Mexico, and
Guatemala. They are on the endangered list due to the heavy use of its lumber
for various products. The timber produced with this wood is said to be some of
the best but surprisingly, there isn’t too much information known about the tree.
The wood that is taken from the tree is often of very high quality and the
color is what really attracts people. The wood is usually a red purple color
with streaks of black. The wood is so unique that people from all over vie to
own some of it.
4. Clanwilliam Cedar
Often characterized as a majestic tree, the clanwilliam cedar can
be found throughout the Western Cape Province of South Africa, especially in
the Cederberg Mountains. The trees are extremely tall, growing up to 82 feet in
height and they like to take things slow: some of these trees can live to be up
to 1,000 years old, and it takes almost 30 years for a tree to produce seeds.
The tree has foliage that is needle-shaped and is close together. The foliage
often produces small cones at the end of each small twig during the autumn
months.
3. African Baobab Tree
If you’ve ever seen The Lion King, you’ve seen
a Baobab Tree. It’s the one Rafiki makes his home. The African Baobab tree is
another on the list that has a long history. It is said that some of the trees
in existence today have been around for at least 1,000 years. You will find
these massive trees, often growing up to 82 feet in height, in the Blue Nile as
well as Kordofan and Darfur. Not only is the African Baobab tall, its trunk is
also pretty large, measuring in at an average of 32ft. in diameter but others
can be as wide as 91 feet. The tree also has fruit, which is
also seen in The Lion King, ranging from 3-17 inches that has a
dry powdery pulp inside of it. The tree’s fruit is used for various things such
as medicine and food.
2. Dragon Tree
This tree probably has the coolest history on the list, but you’ll
only find the Dragon Tree in Morocco, Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands, and on
five of the seven Canary Islands. Tall and
slender, the tree has prickly leaves with white-green flowers as well as brown
berries that are recovered in a red sweet substance. The history behind this
tree goes back for centuries. It is said that in Ancient Rome, the tree was
used as a colorant that would cover iron tools. Many times the colorant was
used as a varnish. The Dragon Tree also has history in various Greek myths. The
most well known is one that tells the story of Hercules and the Apples of
Hesperides. Landon, the hundred-headed dragon is killed, who was said to
be the guardian of Hesperides so that Hercules could bring back the three
golden apples. When the dragon was killed, it is said that various Dragon Trees
sprung up from Landon’s blood, which then flowed across the land, causing more
trees to grow. Though the tree has so much history, that history may soon be
cut short due to the declining number in population.
1. Bois Dentelle
The Bois Dentelle is a truly beautiful tree; sadly there are only
two of these trees in existence today (both in Mauritius). This tree is not huge like others on this list; instead, the Bois Dentelle
is pretty small, but the flowers that it provides are one of a kind. The
flowers are in the shapes of a bell but the petals are lacy. Imagine a piece of
cloth that is frayed at the end and you’ll see what these flowers look like.
They are extremely distinct and only blossom between January and March. The
white flowers hang off of long branches and are often in clusters.
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