Embracing Nature's Majesty: 21 Breathtaking Trees That Showcase Its Awesome Beauty
Trees are some of the oldest living organisms in the world, and they come in every size, shape and color imaginable. From flowering trees, to thorny trees, to rainbow trees – they are all pretty magnificent and tend to amplify any environment they are in. Here are some of the most beautiful trees in the world.
Many trees also have extraordinary qualities that draw people to connect with them, such as their longevity, beauty and even mythical legends, and they have sparked inspiration for art, stories and poetry for centuries. Here are some of the most beautiful trees in the world. If you learn more information about these amazing trees scroll down.
Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra): Kapok (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.) is a large deciduous tree, best known for the fibre produced by its fruit. It usually reaches a height of about 30-40 m but some varieties such as caribaea can reach 70 m. The Mayan people of Guatemala and Mexico consider this a sacred tree, and it is the national tree of Guatemala and Puerto Rico. It is also known as the Silk Cotton Tree because it produces pods of light, fluffy fibre. When fully matured, it can reach a height of over seventy metres. It is also known for its huge buttresses that grow from their trunks, and unique thorns, which protect the tree from predators.
Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia): Native to south-central South America, this is a sub-tropical tree that is also known as the Black Poui or Fern Tree. It can grow up to twenty metres tall and has thin, grey-brown bark, which becomes scaly as it ages. However, the jacaranda is most renowned for its stunning and long-lasting violet-coloured flowers that unfurl during spring and early summer.
1,400+ Year-Old Chinese Ginkgo: A 1,400-year-old ginkgo tree in China has recently drawn thousands of people from all over the country. Golden leaves have been falling on the ground since mid-November, turning the temple’s ground into a yellow ocean. The ancient tree grows next to the Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple in the Zhongnan Mountains and is a perfect celebration of autumn. The ginkgo tree, also known as the maidenhair, is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because, despite all the drastic climate changes, it has remained unchanged for more than 200 million years. It is a living link to the times when the dinosaurs ruled the earth.
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum): This is one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, and the Giant sequoia are the most massive trees on earth. This example — “General Sherman” — is located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in California, and is the largest known living single-stem tree on earth. It is estimated to be between 2400 and 2800 years old.
Japanese Cherry Tree (Prunus cerasus): The Japanese Flowering Cherry is the darling of the flowering tree world and the very symbol of Spring beauty! Considered as one of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world, they are also known as Cherry Blossoms and Sakura. Considered the national flower of Japan, every spring they produce sprinklings of pink and white blooms that first adorn the branches. They then drop away to litter the ground with a breathtaking and magical dusting.
Flamboyant Tree (Delonix regia): This tree originally hails from Madagascar but has spread to several sub-equatorial countries. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and erupts with a flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over summer. In many tropical parts of the world, it is grown as an ornamental tree and is often also known as the Royal Poinciana or Flame of the Forest.
Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva): Also known as the Western bristlecone pine, this is a long-living species of tree found in the higher mountains of Utah, California and Nevada. This example — “Methuselah” — is one of the oldest known trees at nearly 5,000 years old! It is found in Inyo county in California – although its exact location remains undisclosed to protect it from destruction.
Oyamel Fir Tree (Abies religiosa): Also known as the Sacred Fir, this tree is native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico. Deep in the “cloud forests” of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, they grow at altitudes up to 3000 metres. But their most amazing aesthetic quality are their neighbours — they are home to colonies of monarch butterflies that cover their trunks and branches with their stunning black and orange wings.
Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa): Commonly also known as the Bull Pine, this tree is native to the mountainous regions of western North America. These amazing examples are found at Bryce Canyon in Utah, and are some of the southwest’s tallest trees. They can grow to over 60 metres tall with huge trunks up to two metres in diameter. Another redeeming feature is that they smell like butterscotch or vanilla!
Wisteria (Fabaceae leguminosae): A genus of plants in the legume family, wisteria includes species that are woody, twining vines that are native to Korea, China, Southern Canada and the eastern United States. Instead of getting taller over time, they prefer to move outwards with boughs that are draped in purple flowers. The world’s largest wisteria is located in Sierra Madre, California and measures nearly half a hectare in size.
Rhododendron (Ericaceae): The rhododendron is actually not a tree, it’s a shrub and is a part of a large genus of over 1000 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae family. They are found from East Asian mountainsides to American woodlands and boast large clusters of showy blooms in spring. This 125-year-old specimen is found in an (extremely lucky) property owner’s front yard in Canada.
Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta): Why Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees? One of the most beautiful trees in the world, the Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree is truly second to none. As the tree grows, its outer bark delicately peels to reveal the inner bark, which starts out in pastel green and deepens into orange, red, pastel blue, and sunset pink hues. These multicolor streaks set the Eucalyptus Tree apart. Native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, it is the only species of eucalyptus to live in rainforests. It is also one of only four eucalyptus species out of more than seven hundred that aren’t found in Australia. It can grow to over 75 metres tall, and its most striking feature is its long thin trunk with multi-coloured bark that is streaked with a rainbow of reds, purples, greens and oranges.
Silk Cotton Trees (Ceiba pentandra): This tropical tree is native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and northern South America. This specimen is found in the Cambodian ruins of Ta Prohm, and its prominent feature is its huge, twisted root structures that are made up of wavy, long and narrow plants that cut into the earth, forming flanged walls at the base.
Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Endemic to the Southeastern United States, this beautiful elderly specimen known as the “Angel Oak tree” is located in Charleston in South Carolina. It is estimated to be 400 to 500 years old and stands at over twenty metres tall, and produces shade that covers over 1,600 m2.
Strangler Fig (Ficus): Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species that all share the common “strangling” growth habit that is found in many tropical forest species. This magnificent example is found at Ta Prohm, a temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and exhibits the true strength of this tree. Humans abandoned the buildings but the forests wasted no time moving in!
Tibetan Cherry Tree (Prunus serrula): Prunus serrula is a magnificent tree for year round interest with its eye-catching polished, tactile bark. The smooth, mahogany bark peels in translucent cinnamon and honey coloured sheets to reveal a fresh new hue of bronze-red gloss beneath. Caught in autumn sunlight this tree almost glows. Also known as the Paperbark Cherry, the Tibetan Cherry Tree is known for its gorgeous red coppery bark and lovely yellow foliage in autumn. It is native to western China, and in particular, Tibet. It is considered an ornamental tree planted for its beauty, particularly its delicate white flowers that bloom in spring.
Bird-shaped Magnolia flowers: March is the month of Yulan, or Magnolia flowers. What’s special about Magnolia is that the flowers are in full blossom even before the leaves stretch out from the branches so that it’s easier for you to appreciate the blooming flowers. In many parks, gardens and even greenbelts along the streets in Beijing, you can find these beautiful flowers. The petals are of different colors, shades and shapes.If you stand at the right spot and look carefully enough, you might be enchanted to find out that some of these flowers appear like lovely little birds. Some are hiding among flowers, some are chirping with each other while some others are randomly staring around.
Bamboo (Poaceae): Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants. This amazing example, known as the Sagano Bamboo Forest, is located on the outskirts of Kyoto in Japan, near the major temples. Buddhist shrines and temples are often found near bamboo groves as they are a symbol of strength and good luck. One of the major draw cards of this forest is its soundscape when the wind passes through the tall, slender trunks, and the stunning visual display when the sun shines through the densely packed trees.
Beech (Fagus): Beeches are deciduous trees that are native to temperate Asia, Europe and North America. This Ponthus Beech is located in Bretagne in France and is a wonderful example of how immense these trees can grow and how stunning they are as they age. Spreading wide and deep into the surrounding forest, it’s a daunting landmark.
Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari): These unusual-looking trees only grow on Socotra Island, in Yemen, which is located in the Arabian Sea. They are named after the dark red resin they produce, which looks like thick blood. Their unique appearance is also due to their upturned, densely-packed crown, which has the shape of an uprightly held umbrella.
Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis): This is a deciduous tree that is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, however, is cultivated in other parts of the world because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers and interesting fruit. Most trees keep their fruits and leaves together at the tips of their branches. However, the Cannonball tree bears its fruit directly on its bark, which makes for distinctive and wonderfully odd caricatures.
