Most Visually Striking Trees Picture Thread

[The Preserver]

Canary Island Dragon Tree

( Dracaena draco )

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The exotic flora of the Canary Islands is seldom ever talked about for some reason. The archipelago is home to a whole host of endemic species which includes a species of Date Palm and the largest Pine species in the entire old world. Since it is believed that one or more of these islands may one day sink to the bottom of the ocean, it creates a special urgency to plant some ex situ colonies of some of its unique flora using seed collected from heterogeneous individual parent specimens to ensure maximum level of genetic diversity within the populations before that cataclysm materializes. The featured species in the above images is the storied Dragon Tree. It is thought to be the closest living relative of the Socotra Dragon Blood Tree ( Dracaena cinnabari ), and is believed to be the largest member of its genus. It is a member of the order Asparagales and a monocot, meaning that it would be distantly related to Palm Trees. Like its relative that grows on an island located between the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, this tree is known for producing a red resinous sap that resembles iron based blood. The species grows in arid subtropical conditions, making it a great choice in a Mediterranean type climate. Despite its common name, this is not the species that produces Dragon Fruit. In some articles I have read featuring D. cinnabari, the columnists make the mistake of conflating the history of the two species with one another. In the anecdote that we sometimes read about concerning ancient literature from the Bronze and Iron Age, it has been alleged by some that the serpent-like dragon named Ladon who guarded the orchard with the Golden Apples in the "12 Labours of Hercules" was actually a veiled Easter Egg reference to this tree. Considering the proximity of the Canary Islands to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlas Mountains, if the myth of Hercules had anything at all to do with a tree from the Dracaena genus, it would have most likely been this species. Dracaena draco is currently considered to be endangered, and only has wild populations of distribution on the islands of Madeira and Tenerife, and in the Southwest corner of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Other populations are thought to be the result of early human introductions.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/30394/119836316​

 

[Marck]

The taxonomy of Dracaena draco sometime recognizes three subspecies:

D. draco ssp. draco occurs natively on two of the Canary Islands, La Palama and Tenerife, and possibly Madeira, though its nativity there is more questionable.

D. draco ssp. ajgal is the form found in southwestern Morocco.

D. draco ssp. caboverdeana is another taxon not mentioned in the previous post. It occurs natively on three of the ten Cape Verde Islands, namely, Fogo, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau.

Of special note is the presence of a second species of Dracaena native to the Canary Islands.
Dracaena tamaranae, endemic to the Island of Gran Canaria was formerly considered another form of Dracaena draco, but was described as a separate species in 1998.

 

[The Preserver]

Quiver Tree ( "Kokerboom" )

( Aloidendron dichotomum )

Another monocot, the succulent Quiver Tree is a member of the Aloe Family. It is native to South Africa's Northern Cape and parts of Southern Namibia. It gets its common name from its historic use by the local Bushmen Tribes for using parts of the tree to fashion quivers for their arrows. These are unfortunately reputed to not transplant very well, and are said to be extremely difficult to grow outside their native environment. This bodes very ill for their future. It has been alleged that several of these otherworldly desert trees were cut down and transported to be used as props for the making of the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey". There are actually three identified intraspecific types, each with their own IUCN rating. The type species A. dichotomum is listed as "vulnerable", A. pillansii is listed as "Critically Endangered", and A. ramosissimum is listed as "Endangered".

 

[The Preserver]

Flaky Fir
( Abies squamata )

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Many people ask, "what is the difference between a Fir and a Spruce?" Although both are members of the Pine Family, True Firs have cones which are erect and disintegrate well before dropping to the forest floor. Usually the young specimens will also have smooth bark like an Eastern White Pine ( Pinus strobus ). The Douglas-firs ( Pseudotsuga ) are not closely related to either. The needles also tend to be flat and often recurved, with silvery stomata. I could have easily chosen the Noble Fir ( Abies procera ) as the subject of this entry but I have decided instead that it would be better to bring more attention to this more obscure species. It is said that it can never be mistaken for any other species of Fir due to its bark which peels off in a manner similar to a Birch. Its needles are a very glaucous shade of ice blue, making it somewhat resemble A. concolor, A. procera, and Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica ( the "Corkbark Fir" ). Although it apparently occupies an alpine climate, it is apparently adapted to a mild and very wet alpine type climate, similar to that of the Cascade Range in the American Pacific Northwest, which implies that this tree is hydrophilic and needs plenty of humidity. The species is currently listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN ( VU ). The Flaky Fir is not favored by the Chinese Timber Bureaus due to its susceptibility to stem rot - a fungal disease.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/34130/9842605​

 

[The Preserver]

European Larch

( Larix decidua )
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A thread about visually striking trees would be remiss without including Larches. Ever seen a Larch when its needles are turning? In the spirit of the Fall Season...

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Larches are one of the most underrated conifers. Their appearance is almost like that of a True Cedar, except that it is deciduous and sheds its needles for the winter season after turning a brilliant golden colour. Their growth habit could be described as possessing more overall symmetry than their Cedar counterparts. Although not really endangered itself, the intraspecific form from the Western Carpathians, var. polonica, is apparently a different story.

These amazing photos here are courtesy of the user nalina24 at deviantart. If you enjoyed these, please be sure to check out their page.​