By Peter Orosz, Jalopnik
The Tree of Ténéré was a vital navigational waypoint in the heart of the Sahara. It sat in isolation, hundreds of miles from any other tree, marking the route from Niger to Algeria until it was knocked down by a Libyan trucker in 1973.
[partner id="jalopnik"]A short while ago, my good friend Feri and I whiled away some time looking at his beautiful Michelin maps of Africa. There it was, a lone landmark in the Ténéré region of the Sahara in Niger: The world's loneliest tree. Trees do not typically appear on maps showing half a continent, but the Tree of Ténéré was no ordinary tree.
The Tree of Ténéré was an acacia, dating to a time when northeast Niger was a wetter place. Its companions had long since fallen victim to the advancing desert. The Tree of Ténéré was a survivor, its roots stretching 110 feet down to the water table. It was for decades the only landmark in a vast featureless waste of sand, and more than important enough to warrant a place on Michelin's map.
The tree is long dead, killed by a drunk trucker, and proudly displayed at the national museum in the capital city of Niamey. A remarkably ugly metal tree sculpture stands in its place, a sad, brambled pole with none of the rueful grace of the Tree of Ténéré.
Photo: The Tree of Ténéré in 1961. Michel Mazeau/ Wikimedia Commons
