Perhaps the biggest surprise I found in Havana was the enormous trees. Trees that had survived decades, even centuries, of deforestation, human poverty, and hurricanes. Monster trees thrust out of sidewalks and courtyards like something out of science fiction. The one above is a ceiba or kapok, whereas others are strangler fig. The ceiba is considered sacred for the orishas of santeria; supposedly the tree was adopted by African slaves as a substitute for the baobab they missed. Every few years it produces seed pods full of kapok fiber.
The strangler fig (also called banyan) has an unusual life history. A seed lands in some dirt in the crook of an aging tree, where it germinates and sends roots down to the ground. As the parasitic tree grows, its foliage crowds out that of the “host” and its roots fuse together, constricting the host trunk. Eventually the host tree dies, leaving the huge bizarrely shaped fig tree. Strangler figs can even cover ancient buildings.
Why do trees evolve to grow so large, and so old? Probably because the larger the tree, the more seeds it produces, which carry the genes for longevity. On the other hand, this does not explain why bamboo will grow for precisely 130 years, then flower and die. Long reproductive periods can prevent grazers from living to consume the seeds; but bamboo grows ten times longer than any grazer. It’s good to know there are still unanswered questions out there to employ plant ecologists.
What long-lived plants and animals do you find in your part of the world?
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