Trees older than Us: Centurion Trees in my Town.

"Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come.".....Karen Joy Fowler

A happy Wednesday morning readers. How is the day everyone. I just didn't observe earlier on my calendar that it is Wednesday already, at its right time but seem to me a surprise because it came so early from Sunday till now. All the same, as the week is speeding up, we refuse to lag behind. Let draw the line and continue the race to finish.

This planet earth is the only planet that has trees. Others have water but no vegetations or rather green leaves. If there's any planet that has trees, maybe I do not know anything about it yet.

Back from the story of creation, we humans and animals have survived with trees. There are other green habitats but without trews on earth, we world would have been so far from what it is today. We could survive without them but hardly would we. Those days when there was no house, I believe that trees gave shelter to humans and till today, they serve the same purpose. Not only do they provide shelter, they provide food and clothing. I guess this is one of the reasons why early men and even animals at that time had a thing with trees.

Without these trees, there would probably be no furniture. I assume that everyone has a wooden product in our homes. If not a well furnished chairs, it would be doors, plates or wardrobes and accessories including clothing accessories like bead, necklace, earrings..etc. This free gift of nature is still not counted as mineral, who knows it because they are common and seen everywhere around us. Trees just have a great importance.

There are particular trees found in various places, which seem to have been alive forever. From ages to ages, they still stand are despite being cut and wounded by human actions, they still stand tall and active. These old trees grow so old that they most times, look scary and attracts dangerous animals and other creatures.

Sighting them from a distance, they stand taller than other treed and at a closer look, they appear fat and huge. Some of these trees takes strong heart to reach so close to them because they have large roots, huge enough to become another ancient tree. Some of these branches are buried deeply on the earth while some are seen sprouting and spreading around, forming and creating holes with their roots.

Some roots are so tall that humans pass under them to reach the stem, while some stem appear to have hollow and looks like a cafe . Places like that are where all these dangerous creatures likes to live.

At this stage of these trees, some are termed "dangerous", while some are branded "evil" despite all these names, they stand still and live longer than some who branded them those names. This is a common problem with humans, some people see very old men and women as witches and wizards without any evidence.

In Africa for instance, huge trees with hollow stems and tall roots are most times called evil trees. All trees reffered to as evil in my town are old looking, huge in size and are so tall. They look scary at sight and surrounded by shrubs and lesser trees. Some believe are places for witches and native doctor and practically, some villages build there shrine around these ancient trees. People always say that trees like that have stayed for like 400 years.

There is an iroko tree in a nearby community, the native doctors of that community have their shrine around this particular old and scary looking iroko tree. Story has it that this tree has refused to fall for so many times of attempting to fell it. The wood cutters cut open this tree, hoping to make it fall but at a time, there engine breaks down and the wounded tree heals and grows back again. For so many times I have heard this story but still don't believe until my dad said something like that about it.

This tree has unceremoniously refused to be cut down and who knows it has something to do with the spiritual. Right now, it is still the oldest and fattest scary iroko tree in my town. The shocking part of the story to me is that; whenever the tree's branch falls off, someone who is highly recognized by the community or a well known elderly person will die or has died. This people of this community holds on to this believe till today. So strange!

Some centurion trees are still active, bearing beautiful fruits daily and looking green. Some of them though has lost so many of their branches and leaves but are still standing.

All these trees aren't taken care of by man but takes care of themselves till their old ages. Men rather will want to fell them and use them as resources which is good for us all though.

Some of the centurion trees in my town and their estimated ages.

There are so many trees scattered in my village, community and town. Some are so old that no one can even suggest their age. I took my time to visit some of these places and take some pictures of them. There are some that I didn't even bother to reach because it so dangerous going there. I didn't want to be attacked by any animal or creatures like snakes or some other creepers. The estranged tree like the oldest iroko tree that has refused to be fell was not captured because I wouldn't even dream of going close to a place like that. So sorry I didn't capture it, but believe me, I am happy about that.

• Udara tree.(African star fruit)

Udara is a seasonal fruit celebrated so well in my town but that was in the olden days. Now, people no longer has time for that but rather, enjoy the sweet and beautiful fruits of the tree.

This particular udara tree is estimated to be 200 plus Years. I asked an elderly man who told me that he met the tree exactly like that during his childhood. So from there till now, it was estimated to be two hundred plus Years. The elderly man is at his seventies now.

• The Ujulu tree.

This is another tree that are so common in my town. This tree bears a round apple like fruit that looks green all through. It has a high market demand because the seed inside the fruit is used for cooking a very tasty local dish.(ogbono soup). This tree is an evergreen leave tree. I would have captured the fruit but it not yet it season for bearing fruit. This same tree is estimated to be more than 100 years. It grows very gigantic and bears fruit till it dies.

Strange animals and dangerous animals are also known to live in them and around them.

• Iroko tree. (Mahogany)

This is one of the trees that grows so wide. It can grow in large size and up to more than hundred feet.

Image taken by me..Image taken by me..This tree are so plenty in my town and they are all tall and huge. It is highly needed for timber production and furniture. There roots can grow so long and huge.

• Oil Palm trees

This is number one cash crop tree in Ibo Tribe of Africa. There are millions of them. From this tree, we get our red oil (palm oil). No part of this tree is a waste. Another striking importance of this tree is that Ibos make wine from it. The palm wine which is so costly and has the highest demand in wine market. This tree is a blessing. The leaves are made into brooms for sweeping, the husks and flowers for making fire, the riped fruit processed to red oil and the seeds gotten after the red oil is produced has a high demand in production industry and medical products. The stems are used for roofing and the roots are very costly firewood. Every single thing about this palm tree is useful and generates huge income. We have palm oil dealers who ships them around the world.

Oil Palm trees are estimated to have a life span of at least 100 years. They can grow so tall and slim and produce fruit till they die.

Of all these trees mentioned except oil palm trees, I have never seen or heard that they died, like their leaves dried up and they fall.It has always been that it was cut down or that they were thrown down by a heavy wind in a heavy rainfall. Trees are blessings to the world indeed. We are grateful for what they have done for us even though we abuse them most times.

Thanks for reading till this end. I wish you all long life and good health like the strong trees of the earth.

"I feel a great regard for trees; they represent age and beauty and the miracles of life and growth."

_ Louise Dickinson Rich.

"Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year."

― Chad Sugg.

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Image credit: All images taken by me.