Camel Thorn Tree Blossoms - Golden Balls
The age-old and classic tree, Camel Thorn. Photographed in Namibia, but occurring through-out most of Southern Africa. This tree represents power and strength. It can grow hundreds of years old, and with a very deep tap root system, survive the severest of droughts. Thus its apparent immortality is admired by all within countries like Namibia.
Because of the extreme tap root, these trees are also used by water drillers (borehole or well drillers) who look for areas where these giant trees lie in line, indicating the water vein direction underground. It is protected in Namibia and basically all the big trees are considered National Monuments - this determined once the tree exceeds 50 years of life. Then, needless to say, the penalty for illegal harvesting a tree becomes extreme.
A lovely tree that is used by a great variety of animals and birds alike. For the Giraffe, these golden sweet balls are irresistible.
''Vachellia erioloba'' is a southern African legume. Its preferred habitat is the deep dry sandy soils of the Transvaal, western Free State, northern Cape Province, Botswana, and the western areas of Zimbabwe and Namibia. The tree was first described by Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer and Johann Franz Drège in 1836.
The tree can grow up to 17 metres high and is commonly found in Namibia. Its name refers to the fact that giraffe and camels commonly graze on the harder-to-reach succulent.. more
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