Ancient trees – Trees are the bona fide well-wishers of humankind from time immemorial.
But sadly, we humans are hostage to a narrow vision who only sees them as the wasted place and building supplies. They are beyond what meets the eye, forget the beauty, trees supply all the essentials for life and help balance the eco-system of the Mother Earth. Some trees however are hard to stare off for their exotic accent.
High time, humans should have realized the need to conserve these nearly extinct species of ancient trees and here are names of those few:
The Ancient trees –
1. The alley of the Baobabs:
In Madagascar, there is a place called the alley of the Baobabs which have six native species of Baobab trees. They are mostly found in forested areas and stand unscathed by the natural bushfires and agricultural expansion for their natural fire resistant bark. They don’t have annual rings to determine the age unlike other trees but they are nearly thousand years old.
2. The General Sherman:
General Sherman is an enormous tree and can be likened with the Indian Banyan tree for its massiveness. It belongs to the Sequoias family from which the most mass can be derived despite being a single stemmed tree. This 84 metres tall tree is to be found in the Sequoia National Park, California.
3. Old Tjikko:
This 16 metres tall tree is not as visually appealing because it lacks foliage on half of its stem. It is however the oldest individual clonal tree whose one trunk sceptically grows and perishes. This provides natural timber and mostly found in Fulufjället National Park, Sweden.
4. Tāne Mahuta:
The trees called Kauri that are possibly 2,500 years old and mostly found in New Zealand, their cream top is called Tāne Mahuta, Kauri is the largest and most esteemed among Pakeha, the descendants of European settlers among New Zealanders and Maori, indigenous people of New Zealand. These are staunchly called ‘Lord of the Forest’ for their auspicious bearings as per the mythology.
5. Sri Maha Bodhi:
You will see a lot of them in Bodhgaya, the religious pilgrimage for Buddhists. It flanks the Mahabodhi temple, where Budhha was known to achieve enlightenment. The tree is deemed pristine because presumably, Buddha sat under the tree to meditate. It is also believed that the tree aided Budhha’s enlightenment hence considered sacred by the Buddhists. This is a popular type of a Fig tree.
6. The Cotton Tree:
The Cotton Tree in Sierra Leone has a deep religious significance. The freed African American slaves who settled down in Circa around 1972, the tree stands souvenir to their ecstasy. They were allotted freedom after participating actively in the Europe-America war where they took part in the British side. This tree is witness to the first thanksgiving they held around it. It is still offered prayers by the native people.
7. The Boab Prison Tree:
This tree has a short, hollow, trunk where the n route aboriginal prisoners to be sentenced in Derby were kept hostage, hence the tree is infamous among recent Australian people. This tree is used now to store water for the dry months. Also, its leaves have high medicinal properties.
8. El Árbol del Tule (The Tree of Tule):
In Santa Maria Del Tule, Mexico, these trees are to be found mostly. It looks stout with a drum-like shape, so much so that you might mistake it for a boulder. This tree is a tourist sight now which is being adversely affected by too much human contact, the pollution emanating from the nearby vehicles is stuffing its roots.
9. Methuselah:
It is the longest, non-clonal, single tree of the world to be ever found in the World. It is 4800 plus years old and is an old type of Bristlecone Pine.
10. Oak Chapel of Allouvile-Bellofose:
This old Oak tree has been long ago converted into a Christian Worship place in the French town of Allouvile-Bellofose. This reminds us of the medieval ages where a lightning bolt cleaved this tree into two parts and left it without barks. The humans then made steps in the tree and built it up like a castle. It is nearly 800 years old.
So, these are the ancient trees that are on the verge of extinction now. Not always it is due to the natural law, but human atrocities too put their existence in the mouth of peril.
