Quiver tree

Silhouettes of quiver trees against a star-filled sky are one of the most photographed sights in southern Namibia.

The quiver tree is a tree aloe growing 7–9 m tall, with a thick trunk covered in golden bark that peels off in plates and a forked crown ending in rosettes of fleshy, bluish-green leaves. In winter it bears bright yellow flowers, much visited by birds and baboons. The trunk and branches store water, and the whitish surface of the branches reflects the sun’s rays. It grows on stony slopes and dolerite hills in hot, extremely dry regions.

Significance in the country

The name comes from the old custom of the San peoples, who made quivers for their arrows from the hollowed-out branches. The Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop, with about 250 trees, is a national monument of Namibia.

Where it grows

Southern Namibia – the ǁKaras region (the famous Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop and the area around the Fish River Canyon) and the southern part of the Hardap region.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)