THE LEADWOOD HOLIDAYS DREAM WAS BORN OUT OF CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING TREES IN AFRICA
The Leadwood is one of the most iconic and largest trees in Africa, and is so called because of the wood which is extremely dense and heavy. As such, it is impenetrable to termites and the wood from this tree even sinks in water!
It’s so dense that in the early years, the wood from this tree was used for railway sleepers and making other tools because it can last for years. The bushmen also preferred using its firewood because it burns slowly and the ashes could be mixed with water to make toothpaste.
There is a joke in the bush that this tree is known as the 3,000-year-old tree – it takes 1,000 years to grow, 1,000 years to die and 1,000 years to decompose back into the ground (ok, that’s not really true, but it does take a couple of years to grow and die). Some specimens have indicated being about 1,000 years old, and the dead specimens still standing for almost 100 years, before falling down due to natural factors.
The Leadwood is one of the most iconic and largest trees in Africa, and is so called because of the wood which is extremely dense and heavy. As such, it is impenetrable to termites and the wood from this tree even sinks in water!
It’s so dense that in the early years, the wood from this tree was used for railway sleepers and making other tools because it can last for years. The bushmen also preferred using its firewood because it burns slowly and the ashes could be mixed with water to make toothpaste. There is a joke in the bush that this tree is known as the 3,000-year-old tree – it takes 1,000 years to grow, 1,000 years to die and 1,000 years to decompose back into the ground (ok, that’s not really true, but it does take a couple of years to grow and die). Some specimens have indicated being about 1,000 years old, and the dead specimens still standing for almost 100 years, before falling down due to natural factors.
In some southern African cultures, the tree is seen as sacred – it’s even believed that one of the reasons it is able to reach such an old age is because the ancestors’ spirits live on the inside of the tree. Now, picture that barkless tree while on your safari with an eagle or vultures perched on the branches, or a leopard lazily hanging on the leafless branches. Chances are very good that that is an old Leadwood tree.
With these interesting facts, wouldn’t you want to be connected with such a tree
