Quiver Tree

Quiver Tree
by Rob Millenaar.

Quiver Tree, Kokerboom, Aloe Dichotoma

The Karoo desert holds many surprises, one of which is the beautiful Quiver Tree. The name derives from the Bushman's habit of making quivers for their arrows, by hollowing out the trunks. The soft inner fiber can easily be removed.
On a nearby hillside we see many of these majestic trees. Tapping the trunk of a live one brings out the sound of a heavy, sturdy object, full of water. The trunk of a dead one is feather light. The hike to the trees was worth the effort. Standing among these pre-historic wonders, surrounded by the empty desert, brings home the relatively brief time that man has walked among them.

A quick search on the web yields this informative site on the Quiver Tree:
http://www.livingdesert.org/plants/quiver_tree.asp

Rob