6. Steinhardt Conservatory: Aquatic Pavilion

Dragonsblood Tree (Pterocarpus officinalis)

Specimen at Zwani Spelt Swamp, French Guyana.
Photo: Bas van de Riet, tresorrainforest.org.

This evergreen can grow to 100 feet tall and develop a tremendous system of aboveground roots. These aerial roots may extend as much as 10 feet outward from the base of the tree and reach 15 feet up the trunk. They provide the tree with support in its watery native settings and, like the knees that grow from bald cypress roots, also help the tree to absorb oxygen.

Notable Neighbors:

• 6A. Dawn redwood grove (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
• 6B. White willow (Salix alba 'Tristis')
• 6C. Yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava)

Inside the Conservatory:

• Akee Tree (Blighia sapida)
• Dragonsblood Tree (Pterocarpus officinalis)
• Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
• Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
• Mesquite Tree (Prosopis glandulosa)