As its name implies fall is the season of falling leaves and we are used to seeing trees and shrubs sprouting pale green leaves in spring only for them to fade and fall at the end of the year. Of course there are evergreens which keep their leaves through the winter, but even they lose some of their foliage on a regular basis. Not so the Welwitschia mirabilis which only grows two leaves which it keeps throughout its life which can extend to 1000 years. To discover more about this remarkable plant read the article by Abbi Hayes which I found on the Planters Place website.
Even without the sunglasses and necktie (courtesy of the biologists at Indiana University?s Jordan Hall Greenhouse), this may be the weirdest plant I have ever seen and, after doing a little research, I think it may be one of the weirdest plants on the planet.? Welwitschia mirabilis, or Tree tumbo, have been around at least since the Jurassic period and are the only plant in their scientific Family, which means they are truly one of a kind.? They are only found in Southern Africa in the fog belt of the Namib Desert, in which moisture is measured in millimeters, not inches, and some years there may be no rain at all.? To survive, Welwitschia developed long broad leaves to both absorb moisture from the fog and direct condensation drips to the root zone.? They also grow a long taproot to seek out moisture in the sand, which is why they are often planted in chimney pots to accommodate the root (see picture).
See more at Planters Place
