tour 8 of 9
An Africa garden
David Davidson, Daniel and Petra Carstens, Baobab Tree, steel and bark
This sculpture of a baobab tree was designed by
David Davidson and manufactured by Daniel and Petra Carstens, who
live near Cape Agulhas at South Africa's tip. The
Carstenses are immersed in nature, having moved from Cape Town to a
farm in a private wild flower reserve. They specialize in creating
sculptures and decorative pieces out of invasive alien
vegetation.
The tree was
originally created for exhibition at London's Chelsea
Flower Show and appeared in the Ground Force Africa Garden. Its
imposing six-metre structure consists of a steel wire skeleton
weaved with strips of Port Jackson bark, a species which is not
native to Cape Agulhas. The tree was manufactured in sections that
lock into place so it can be transported in pieces and put together
on arrival.
Real baobab
trees, with their bulbous branches and gnarled bark, are said to
embody the spirit of Africa. They can live for thousands of years
and are some of the oldest living things on earth. Their trunks can
grow up to eighteen metres high and nine metres in diameter, and
can store more than 120,000 litres of
water.
Baobab trees are
associated with many legends in Africa and are said to have magical
powers. Some people believe that drinking the water in a
baobab's seeds will keep you safe from attack by a
crocodile; others believe that if you pick a flower from the tree
you will be eaten by a lion. The baobab has many uses for humans:
the fruit can be sucked or roasted to make a coffee-like drink; the
bark can be pounded to make baskets, rope, paper and cloth; the
leaves can be boiled and eaten; and the pollen can be used to make
glue.