Each year Zimbabwe crowns a new "Tree of the Year" as part of National Tree Planting Day. According to this report from the Sunday News, this year's winner is a Caribbean tree known as the Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas). How does one get to be in the running for Tree of the Year? Being a source of biodiesel helps for sure - being an invasive species doesn't seem to count against you either. The Tree of the Year for 2003 was buffalo thorn (Ziziphus mauritiana), an invasive native to Asia.
Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to the report. And minus two points to the Sunday News for misspelling the scientific name of the plant...twice.
1 comment:
That's like making the Brazilian Pepper the shrub of the year in Florida for its red berries or awarding the Chinese tallow a prize for best fall color in Houston (fall color is a reach in SE Texas).
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