Australian Baobab near Timber Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. © Bronwen Scott.

The Upside Down Trees

Baobabs in the Australian Outback

Baobab trees are said to grow upside down, with their branches deep in the earth and their roots reaching into the sky. Between earth and sky, the bulbous trunk is unlike that of most other species. It is filled with spongy tissue that takes up water to see it through the dry times. It sees people through the dry times too. The baobab is a precious tree.

Baobab trees at first light, Northern Territory, Australia. © Bronwen Scott.

Several species of Baobab occur in Africa and Madagascar, but only one species is native to Australia. The Australian Baobab (Adansonia gregorii) grows in the Top End — the Northern Territory, and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Two years ago, I visited the Top End and felt privileged to walk among these strange trees.

Just before the sun comes up, Northern Territory. © Bronwen Scott.

One morning, we got up before sunrise to catch the dawn chorus. The sun rises quickly in the tropics. One moment, the sky is a cool dark blue scattered with stars; the next, light flows across it. There is a short period — seconds, maybe a minute — when the landscape is understated and…