The Ginkgo of the Botanical Garden more than 100 years, undated precisely
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Every other tree on this walk came to Naples as a novelty from somewhere far away.
Ancient Trees in the Real Orto Botanico
Founded by Napoleonic decree in 1807 and planted with things Naples had never seen, which is why four of these five trees come from other continents.
The widest trunk on Naples' entire national register stands here, a silk floss tree whose bulging green trunk looks less like timber than like something inflated. Beside it grows a Chilean wine palm, a species nearly drunk out of existence because its trunk is full of sweet sap that was tapped for wine. The exception is the ginkgo, which is not a novelty from far away but a survivor from far back.
All 5 stand in Naples, which maps 17 remarkable trees in total.
The False Kapok of the Botanical Garden more than 100 years, undated precisely
Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa). Naples has 53 entries on Italy's national monumental register and this one has the widest trunk of the lot.
The Crenate Oak of the Botanical Garden more than 100 years, undated precisely
Crenate Oak (Quercus crenata). This oak is two species at once.
The Blue Gum of the Botanical Garden more than 100 years, undated precisely
Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus). Thirty metres, which makes this the tallest tree the registers record inside the garden, and the reason it stands here at all is a nineteenth century medical theory that turned out to be wrong. Eucalyptus globulus was planted across southern Europe from the 1860s onward because it grows fast, drinks enormously, and was believed to dry marshy ground and so drive out malaria.
The Chilean Wine Palm of the Botanical Garden more than 100 years, undated precisely
Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis). This palm was very nearly drunk out of existence.
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