Favorite Disney Thing #62 - The Upside-Down Tree - Technically it's an African Baobab tree. These unusual tree’s can grow to be extremely large - some more than 30 feet wide! They're nickname, the Upside-Down Tree, is due to their wide reaching limbs that look more like roots due to their sparse foliage. Baobab trees are also known for their very long life spans, some are said to be over 2000 years old! Over the years many myths and legends have come about, such as the one about its blooms. Theses flowers are believed to be inhabited by spirits and whoever picks one from the tree will be eaten by a lion!
The Baobabs that are seen on Kilimanjaro Safaris are mostly made of concrete. Many people believe that the trees are real, but Disney didn't want to risk transporting a 1000 year old tree and instead opted for the man-made version. There used to be a live Baobab in Animal Kingdom; however it died and was replaced with a different type of tree. It was located in Harambe near the Tusker House Restaurant. It was very small compared to the "Baobabs" you see on the Safari.
I think the Upside-Down trees in Animal Kingdom come from some of Disney's best Imagineering. They make me feel like I have been transported to a real African Savannah.
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