7 unique trees that you don’t know about

You might know about peepal, neem, or mahogany tree, but do you know about the aspen tree? Well, you should because it’s the largest organism in the world. Yes!

Even more massive than a blue whale! 

Here’s a list of seven unique trees you didn’t know about and their characteristics.

• Aspen tree  

Populus tremuloids, also known as aspen, are native to cold regions with cool summers,  specifically in the northern hemisphere. They are medium-sized, about 15-30 m tall in height.  

The largest aspen grove is located in Utah, United States, and is known as ‘Pando’. It is also the largest organism on Earth, occupying an area of 43.6 hectares. Feeling small yet, take this, the whole grove weighs about six million kilograms! It has a common root system, estimated to be about eighty thousand years old! Thus, making it one of the oldest living organisms! 

• Dragon’s Blood tree

Dracaena cinnabari, also called Socotra dragon tree, is an evergreen species native to Socotra Archipelago, Yemen, in the Arabian Sea. The blood-red sap that it produces gives it the name Dragon’s Blood. It has a unique and bizarre appearance resembling an umbrella with its “upturned, densely packed crown”.

The tree has medicinal properties, and the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs used it for general wound healing, diarrhea cure, dysentery cure, and easing mouth, stomach, and throat ulcers. 

• Redwood tree

This one, you might know, but it was too cool to be not on the list. So, redwood tree, huh?  Sequoia sempervirens is a sole-living species belonging to the Sequoia genus, also known as  California redwood, coastal redwood, or coastal redwood. The evergreen tree has a life of about 1,200-2,200 years!

According to Wikipedia, it is the tallest tree ever recorded, reaching a height around 115.5 meters, with a diameter of about 9 meters.

• Baobab tree

Adansonia trees, commonly known as baobabs, belong to Malvaceae. They are endemic to Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia. The African baobab is the oldest angiosperm tree, about 1275 years old! They also have An Arabian  surrounding them, which is “the devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its branches  into the earth, and left its roots in the air.”

Found throughout the drier regions of  Africa, these trees have water-storing trunks which reach a diameter of 9 meters and a height of about 18 meters. They also have incredible importance to the local people. The edible leaves and fruits of the baobab are essential for several herbal remedies. Their trunks are used to make strong fiber for ropes and clothes and for supplying raw materials for hunting and fishing tools.

• Yoshino Cherry 

I know you also know this one but look at it, so magnificent. Being the most popular and widely planted cherry globally, the Yoshino Cherry has propagated through grafting all over the world. These trees are the clones of a single tree! 

They have a stunning shape with exotic branching patterns, sprouting flowers with pale pink petals, which can leave you awestruck at their beauty. Most trees grow about 30-50 feet tall with a spread of 25-40 feet. 

• Rainbow Eucalyptus 

Eucalyptus deglupta is a species of tall trees native to the Philippines, Papua New  Guinea, and Indonesia. It is commonly known as rainbow gum, rainbow eucalyptus or Mindanao gun. This fast-growing tree can reach a height of 60-75 m with a  diameter of around 2.4 m.

The bark of the tree has vibrant colors like purple,  orange, red and green. The most fascinating part about this tree is that the barks change colors over time resembling a kaleidoscope.

• Blue Jacaranda 

Jacaranda mimosifolia is a sub-tropical species native to South America. It is commonly known as jacaranda, black poui or blue jacaranda. It is mainly grown for ornamental purposes and is cultivated all around the world in frost-free regions.  Blue Jacaranda can grow up to a height of 20 m. They are widely desired for their stunning bell-shaped violet flowers.