Quiver Tree Forest

Quiver tree forest

The Quiver Tree Forest (Kokerboom Woud in Afrikaans) is a forest and a well-known tourist attraction of southern Namibia. It is located about 14 km north of Keetmanshoop, on the road to Koës, in the Gariganus farm. It comprises about 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma, a species of aloe that is also locally known as "quiver tree" (Afrikaans: kokerboom) because bushmen use its branches to make quivers. The forest is spontaneous; the tallest quiver trees are two to three centuries old. The forest was declared a national monument of Namibia on June 1, 1995.

In the surroundings of the forest there is another site of geological interest (itself a tourist attraction), the Giant's Playground, a vast pile of large dolerite rocks.

Other Quiver Tree Forests

Although Aloe dichotoma is common in southern Africa, there are only a small number of quiver tree forests proper. Most have been created by men; one of them is found in the Karoo National Botanical Garden of Worcester, South Africa.