Every day there is a new discovery for me on my explorations along the wild and rugged shoreline of the southernmost coast of Africa. It never ceases to amaze me how nature flourishes despite seemingly challenging conditions. One of the most unusual trees I have encountered is this one seen in today’s photograph. It has grown up along the sheer rock face and nestled itself on top the rock formation, like a giant bird nest, while the roots remain under the same rocky feature. This is truly a case of life making its own way toward the light and adapting to the prevailing conditions on the ground.
I’m not sure of the species of tree but it’s indigenous to the Cape south coast of Africa, known as the Mediterranean Climate, since it’s much like that found up north in the region of the same name. We’re also on the same latitude, except the southern hemisphere as opposed to the north. Thus the climate is relatively mild, although it is a bit dry sometimes. As a result there are numerous succulents as one might find in a semi-desert region, even though we’re on the coast.
Just look at this bizarre tree! It’s the only such peculiar site I have seen in this entire area. Somehow nature has brought this particular species of hardy shrub or bush to a nice little nook or cranny under the boulder. Obviously sheltered in its youth by the surrounding rock, it flourished over some years. All the while it grew taller and taller, clinging to the actual boulder and actually climbing up the rock face season by season.
It’s sights like this that remind me that nature truly is amazing. With the aid of the rock as support, the bush was probably able to grow much taller than it normally would. And once it reached the top of the boulder, it settled itself there and branched out with ease. All the while the roots remained well sheltered and watered in the dark hidden cavern under the same boulder. What a symbiosis of terrain and tree.
Have you ever encountered anything like it? Look at how the trunk forms a spiraling twisted form, as if several strands have come together like a rope. To my untrained eye it actually looks like more than one plant and trunk joined together and wound around each other like lovers embracing and supporting each other. On the one close-up of the spiraling trunk it looks to me like a face in the wood.
With the Indian Ocean just steps away, and no real soil visible to speak of, this tree has managed – with the help of the boulder – to grow really tall and perch itself up on top of its support, ending up much taller than a person – maybe ten feet or more. It just reminds me of how magical nature can be and how intelligent life is. This built-in intelligent design is proof to me of a higher intelligence behind all life on earth.
I’ve also learned from this tree that adapting to and utilizing our circumstances to our advantage is something that allows one to thrive, despite apparent inhospitable circumstances. I wonder what this tree looked like in its interim years as it climbed up the vertical rock face season by season? I’m only encountering it now for the first time but it has probably been here for some years already, well supported and standing tall and proud, despite all weather conditions here at the southernmost edge of the African continent.
Nature is amazing and we are all part of nature, so we humans are obviously all amazing. Let’s never become complacent or forget the sanctity of all life, particularly human life, as we make our way forward into an uncertain future, having build our way up to this point from a long forgotten past.
(photos my own)