Tree Photo: Sakishima Sappanwood -- Heritiera littoralis

The Site Has Improved

 

 

It's been over a year, since my first visit to this location, in Higashi Village.

Heading up north to the Higashi Museum, we got detoured by a construction crew.

That's how we wound up, stopping here.

The place has been spruced up nicely and, clouds passed overhead so, I snagged this photo.

At the edge of these woods bright light and dark shadows make photography difficult.

In the past, you had to walk through some soggy ground, to reach this tree.

And, there were some yellow and black ropes surrounding the area.

Now, the safety ropes are gone and they have wooden boardwalks leading to the attraction.

Something tells me, a ritual or some sort of shindig may be taking place in the near future.

So, I'll be going back to see if I can weasel my way into getting invited.

They won't say "No" if I don't ask so, I might as well try !

More About the Sundari Trees at Wildscreen ARKive

Tree Photo: Heritiera littoralis #2 from Okinawa

It Isn't Like These Trees Grow Everywhere

 

 

This is an image of the second Sundari tree, I've spotted on this island.

Maybe, I need to get out more often or, visit the rest of the Ryukyu Islands.

There isn't much available, online, to tell you about this find.

 

Apparently, the trees like to grow around water and in the mangroves.

They say, in the Philippines, the roots can be used for poisoning fish.

The tree could also, be used as firewood.

The bark, contains something useful for strengthening fishing nets.

Seems, to me, like those roots would make some nifty furniture.

If  anybody, out there, knows more about these trees, help with these links:

The Wiki Folks

Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research

ARKive

They could all use some beefing-up in the words department.

That would be nice, if you could contribute to those sites.

Meanwhile, I'll be busy, seeing if I can shoot some more photos for them.

There has to be more of these trees, somewhere, on this island.

I'm outta here.

 

5 Photos of the Heritiera littoralis Tree from Okinawa, Japan

One Heck of a Tree

 

In Higashi Village they call this beauty the Sakishima Sappanwood Tree.

The good folks at the local museum gave me a pamphlet, I used to track down a Latin name.

サキシマスウノキ, is what they called it.

So, I ran that through some internetty things, I use, sometimes in my research.

And, BINGO !  I came up with the scientific words Heritiera littoralis.

This tree has been designated a natural monument and, I can see why.

 It had me running around in circles to show everybody what a gem it really is.

There aren't any trees like this in my hometown.

They have a place where people make offerings and a small waterfall at the site.

This happens to be the biggest tree, of this type, on the whole island of Okinawa.

It wouldn't be nice of me to just show you one photo so, I took five.

If I get a chance, after rainy season is over, maybe, I'll go back and shoot 100 more !

Sources:

Wikipedia Japan

Okinawan Plants

For Directions to see this natural wonder:  Map It Okinawa