In the plant kingdom the quiver tree, along with the Welwitschia, is Namibia's national symbol. As the emblem of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) the quiver tree advertises Namibia as a travel destination. Without being aware of it we hold this symbol in our hands on a daily basis – embossed on the 50 cent coin. What is it that we find so fascinating about the quiver tree?
The quiver tree was given its name in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, then the governor of the Cape. On an expedition to the north he first saw this plant near Springbok. He called it the 'quiver tree' because he had been told that the San (Bushmen) used part of the tree to make quivers for their arrows. Even today it is still claimed at times that the branches were used for that purpose. That is not incorrect, however. A type of very hardy pipe from inside the trunk was turned into quivers.
Botanists call the quiver tree Aloe dichotoma, as indeed it is an aloe. The word 'dichotoma' is Greek and means something like forked, which describes the way in which the tree grows: the branches repeatedly divide in the shape of the letter Y. Quiver trees reach a height of 3 to 9 metres. The crown often develops a semi-spherical form that gives them the appearance of huge mushrooms.
Quiver trees are predominantly found in the southern parts of the country, but also along the Great Escarpment in the west, which extends north. Solitary trees are a common sight on the slopes or tops of rocky hills, or clusters of them, and occasionally they can be seen in the plains as well. The geographic range of the quiver trees largely coincides with the Nama Karoo, the western fringe of the summer rain area which is characterized by high fluctuations in annual rainfall. Every now and then plants have to survive on extremely small quantities of water.
The quiver tree is a leaf and stem succulent superbly adapted to its habitat. The fleshy leaves and the spongy fibre braid in the stem and branches can store large quantities of water over a long period of time. The surface of the leaves is smooth and waxy and allows hardly any moisture to evaporate. The stem stands vertically, which means that it is not exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day and therefore does not heat up that much. The bark is yellowish and the branches are covered by a thin layer of white powder so that all day long most of the sunlight is reflected. Furthermore, the bark consists of scales: in a soft breeze they probably have a similarly cooling effect as the ribs of certain types of columnar cacti.
Young quiver trees are usually difficult to find and not immediately recognized as such by laymen, because in general they only survive in sheltered spots, in crevices between rocks or under shrubs and other 'nursing plants'. Thus protected the seeds and seedlings get more moisture and are less exposed to wind and sun. And during their first years they are hidden from folivores.
After those first years the quiver tree tries to reach a height of 2 to 3 metres as fast as possible. Only when that is achieved it starts to branch out in Y-shape and to develop more and more leaves. They grow in tufts, shaped like a rosette, at the tip of the branches and they can be closed up against too much sun. The purpose of the strategy of shooting up on a single stem is to loose as little as possible of the precious foliage to kudus and other folivores.
When the quiver tree is 20 to 30 years old it flowers for the first time. The bright yellow blossoms appear between the end of May and the beginning of July and form a picturesque contrast to the blue skies of a clear winter’s day. The umbels of flowers are considered a delicacy by many creatures and the abundance of nectar attracts pollinators – mainly sunbirds. Apart from food the quiver tree also offers a home to its winged little helpers: sunbirds often nest in enlarged hollows in the stem.
