Avenue of Boababs, Madagascar
From the article by Ebden Diskin 5/2/21, updated from 10/9/14 from www.matadornetwork.com
NO ONE APPRECIATED the beauty of trees, and immortalized them in literature, more than J.R.R. Tolkien. “I am at home among the trees,” said Legolas the elf in The Fellowship of the Ring, but it might as well have been Tolkien himself speaking.
Under a black pine in the Oxford Botanic Gardens, the author sat and penned part of his famous trilogy, inspired by the unique trees and plants surrounding him. Tolkien viewed trees as living, breathing creatures with humanlike characteristics, and it’s easy to see why. From Japan’s bamboo forests to the ponderosa pines of Utah, the world’s trees are as diverse and beautiful as its people.
As the world opens up and we begin to think about travelling once again, here is the first in a series of 20 of the most unique trees and forests around the world that will give you a Tolkien-esque love for trees.
Photo: Michail_Vorobyev/Shutterstock
Madagascar is known for its otherworldly-looking giant baobabs, which you can easily find lining the road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. The “Avenue of Baobabs,” as it is known, is considered the most accessible place to see baobabs in Africa, and the most beautiful road in Madagascar. Baobabs can reach heights of nearly 100 feet, and live to more than a thousand years.
For advice about your trees, call Andrew on 01256 817369, 07771 883061 or email him at Andrew@primarytreesurgeons.co.uk. For more information and stories, we’re on Twitter @PrimaryTreeSurg