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10 BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN TREES TO VISIT NOW

Photo: By Patrick M. “Back to That Tree.” Japanese Maple Tree, Portland Japanese Garden.

Specimen trees are those that are either exceptionally beautiful "to type," exceptionally large, exceptionally old, or any combination thereof. Today, we are sharing 10 of the most beautiful specimen trees happening in the world right now. Check them out. And go visit them to see for yourself what a wonder they are.

1. JAPANESE MAPLE TREE SPECIMEN -- OREGON, USA

While we’ve never seen a Japanese Maple Tree that was anything short of being spectacularly beautiful, this particular specimen tree might just take first prize. You can find it in the Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park, located in Portland, Oregon.

2. WISTERIA SPECIMEN - ASHIKAGA, JAPAN

This amazingly ancient and beautiful 144-year-old Wisteria specimen tree (technically classified as a type of vine) has a canopy spread that measures out to a full half acre. Amazingly, it is not the biggest in the world. That record is held by a vine twice its size in Sierra Madre, California.

The vine is so massive that its “limbs,” are held up by steel supports, which allow visitors to stand underneath and look up.

Go see it at the Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga, Japan.

3. RHODODENDRON TREE SPECIMEN -- BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

At over 125 years old, this Rhododendron Tree is one of the most beautiful and oldest of its kind, a true specimen. Located in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada, the tree became known when reddit user smartforever posted a stunning photo of it online.

4. ANGEL OAK TREE SPECIMEN - SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

This specimen of Angel Oak tree found on John’s Island in South Carolina towers a mighty 20 meters tall and may be the oldest tree east of the Mississippi.

With its truly ancient nature and sprawling twisted branches, this tree spreads out far and wide to a 25.5-foot circumference, while it soars to 65 feet tall. It shades an area of 17,000 square feet.

The Angel Oak is thought to be about 1,500 years old.

5. DRAGON BLOOD TREE SPECIMEN -- SOCOTRA, YEMEN

This Dragon blood Tree specimen (Dracaena cinnabari), found on the Socotra archipelago in Yemen in the Indian Ocean, is one of the strangest trees in existence.

Its unique shape has an almost flat top made up of a number of palm-like branches. The tree is named for the red sap it secretes which is used as a dye and as a natural medicine.

6. SUNLAND BAOBAB TREE SPECIMEN -- LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

The Sunland Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is a well-known baobab specimen the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The tree is located on Sunland Farm (Platland Farm), near Modjadjiskloof (previously known as Duiwelskloof).

The trunk is so large, it holds a void inside that has been outfitted with an established bar and a wine cellar. It’s diameter is 10.64 meters. Only the Glencoe Baobab, growing nearby, which recently split in two, had a wider girth.

The tree has been carbon dated and its age is estimated to be 1,060 years, plus or minus 75 years.

7. SHUNKA-EN BONSAI SPECIMEN -- TOKYO, JAPAN

This Bonsai specimen is larger than most. It is over 800 years old. It is highly valued, owned by Kunio Kobayashi, one of the most renowned Bonsai artists.

Go see it in Tokyo.

8. GENERAL SHERMAN SEQUOIA TREE SPECIMEN -- CALIFORNIA, USA

While it’s not the oldest, tallest, or living tree ever to grace the Earth, the General Sherman Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) the largest known living single-stem tree that is currently alive.

While it was named after the Civil War General, this gorgeous specimen is between 2,300 -- 2,700 years old. It lives large in Sequoia National Park, California, This specimen stands a stunning 275 feet tall and boasts a diameter equivalent to a 3-story building, about 25 feet.

9. MONTEZUMA CYPRESS SPECIMEN -- OAXACA, MEXICO.

The Tule Tree, otherwise known as El Árbol del Tule, is a specimen Montezuma cypress tree. It’s circumference is a staggering 119 feet, but its height is only 116 feet tall.

The Tule is believed to be about 2,000 years old.

You can see this specimen on the grounds of the church in Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The best time to visit was this past week, during the annual festival, held on the 2nd Monday of October.

10. ASPEN TREE SPECIMEN -- UTAH, USA

While this looks like a grove made up of hundreds of trees, it is actually a single specimen, with one massive underground root system and many sprouts. This is a beautiful quaking aspen that spreads over more than 100 acres in Utah.

Known as the “Trembling Giant” or “Pando,” is estimated to collectively weigh about 6,615 tons, making it the heaviest living organism in this world!

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Specimens in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 10.19.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: By Patrick M. “Back to That Tree.” Japanese Maple Tree, Portland Japanese Garden.
Photo: By Sasquatch 1. Japanese Maple Tree Specimen, Portland Japanese Garden.
Photo: by Manish Prabhune. 144 year old Wisteria Tree specimen.
Photo: by Hideya HAMANO. Ashikaga Wisteria festival 2014.
Photo: by smartforever. 125 year old Rhododendron Tree.
Photo: by Mike Norton. Angel Oak tree on John’s Island, SC.
Photo: by Mastahanky. Dragon Blood Tree in Yemen.
Photo: Courtesy of eco-turizm. Sunland Baobab Tree Specimen, Limpopo, South Africa.
Photo: Courtesy of Bonsai Empire. An 800 year-old Bonsai tree at Shunkaen, by Kunio Kobayashi.
Photo: by Yathin. General Sherman Sequoia.
Photo: by Eduardo Robles Pacheco. The Tule Tree.
Photo: by Jason Corneveaux. Quaking Aspens.
Photo: by Dillan K. Quaking Aspen.