Thursday 22 January 2009

Trees of the world

You just have to look at this!

What a magnificent list of trees.  I was waiting and waiting for the Baobab - the ubiquitous tree of Africa, branches like roots in the air. Then finally - voila! I love its use as a toilet (honestly - click on the link and see!)

Now, with more tree-hunting research, I discover that the wonderful Thomas Pakenham clearly has a love of them, writing a whole bunch of books and being labelled as an arborist (a new word for me to use!)  TP is, in my mind, most famous for writing the epic The Scramble for Africa which everyone ought to read (I'm half-way through: have been for 3 years now). It is billed as the defin
itive history of Africa and I certainly have learnt far more in half a book than I was ever told at school. Evidently his research led him to meet many trees - I guess some will have been around at the same time as we colonials exploited all African riches. (Rashly I put that in the past tense.)

My photo is of a friend enjoying a tree...

2 comments:

Working Mum said...

It's the Acacia for me! I did a photostory Friday post with a photo I took of an acacia in the Masai Mara. Just beautiful!

Catharine Withenay said...

My son was in Acacia house at school in Zambia, so it holds a soft spot for us too. Glad you liked it!

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