Did you know some trees are killers?

 On Monday, Sue, Dumevi, Eugene and I went to the Botanical Gardens in Aubri. These Gardens were set up in the late 1800's and have been doing very well. Many of the trees that were imported and planted then, are now over a 100 years old. Some of the trees that were already there, show some very interesting developments. 

On particularly interesting tree does not start out as roots in the ground from a seed and work it's way up. No that is too simple. This tree starts as a fig from the mother plant and is carried by animals, up in the canopy to another tree - or a windy storm, etc. The fig get very ripe and send out tiny shoots that grow and travel down the host tree until it reaches the ground. Then it changes into roots that feed this new plant. Lots and lots of tiny vines set out and reach the ground. After time those tiny vines widen and harden and become a tree - that is surrounding the host tree. Usually the host tree cannot get the sun and air it needs and dies, then rots leaving a hollow in the middle of the Strangler Tree or Rubber Shade Tree. Interesting.

Very interesting type of tree.

I walked into the trunk of this 'hollow' tree and looked up at the "windows"

Windows left from where the host tree used to look out.

Avenue of trees planted over a hundred years ago. I believe these came from Cuba.

Not all hosts are strangled. There are many plants that grow on trees and just enjoy the view and seat on its host. Sometimes they are mutually beneficial. 

Another interesting thing we learned was that some trees come in male and female. Take for instance the nutmeg tree. There is a male and a female tree and if you don't have both, it won't pollenate and grow the nuts for the spice we use. They usually find a male nutmeg tree (in its youth the leaves are larger than the female) and plant him in the middle. Then they find four female nutmeg trees and plant them around the male. Everybody is happy and the four female trees produce the fruit with nuts that are turned into two spices, nutmeg powder and mace (which is the around the nut). That's the theory. Really they use grafting and other gardening techniques because it take eight or nine years to find out exactly which type of tree it is. If you want the details here it is in Wikipedia.

We saw cinnamon trees where the spice is ground from the bark. The guide told us the branches on the sides or up at the top are the ones that are cut as you do not want to kill the tree for the bark. As he showed us all over the spice trees and bushes, Sue and I agreed there is a good reason spices cost so much. 

There are many, many kinds of palm trees which we saw. Some are actually short and small, and some are very tall. All of them produce different things. Palm nuts and coconuts are not alike. Palm nuts are small and used to make soup or oil is extracted. Coconuts are huge have husks that are broken off then a hard layer that is cracked open until you get to the coconut water/milk and meat.  I use the meat of a coconut by shredding it up and putting it in my banana bread. Dates, Acai berries, and other nuts are on palm trees too.

We also saw plants that curl up when they are touched. Sometimes hunters used to watch these little cover plants to see if someone had walked ahead of them. 

One tree was used by a wood carver for eight years until he died. He was carving a "Tree of life". It is a depiction of people helping other people up. then some who are standing on others, pulling some down.

The king is sitting at the top while his advisor is holding him up

I am going to let you decide in the next pictures who is living and helping and who is lifting and who is pulling others down.....

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the elephant and giraffe. The artist did not get to actually 'finish' his work as he still had things he was working on before he died.

Sue and I had Waakye for lunch and also a drink of watermelon juice with a little lime (refreshing). Our Waakye was very hot so we enjoyed just a little. I asked for vegetarian and had it with an egg instead of a meat choice. It is basically beans and rice with lots of add ins. 

All in all it was a very fun, educational day. Even the trip up and back was interesting. Colorful salesmen and vistas to see. 

Accra has over three million people in the population.