Looking like a creature straight out of Jurassic Park, the peculiar Dehydrosepcio Kilimanjari plant can only be found on top of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.
The African continent boasts of Kilimanjaro, which is the tallest mountain and a remarkable natural wonder. As you climb higher up this freestanding mountain, the weather zones change drastically from the ground-level landscape, home to exceptional, mutated, or rare species found almost nowhere else. One such striking species is the Kilimanjaro giant groundsell (Dendrosenecio kilimanjari), an ancient plant that evolved over a million years ago and resembles a blend between a burnt cactus and a pineapple.
The Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is a unique plant species that can only be found on Mount Kilimanjaro. It thrives at high altitudes, specifically between 14,000-16,000 feet (4300-5000 meters), and has adapted to surviving sub-zero temperatures. Despite being slow-growing, these plants can grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall. Other related but isolated sub-varieties of the giant groundsels (Dendrosenecio) can also be found on a few other East African mountains but are not found anywhere else.
The beautiful Dendrosenecio kilimanjari and the majestic Kilimanjaro mountain are truly a sight to behold. One of the fascinating members of the dandelion family is the Giant Groundsels. According to scientists, these plants have evolved from a common groundsel that existed over a million years ago. Over time, they slowly climbed up the mountains through the process of windborne seed distribution, which only moved them a few meters at a time, until they ultimately became a new species.
To survive in a harsh environment where temperatures often drop below freezing at night, giant groundsels have developed a unique way to store water. They store it in the pith of their stem and close their leaves when it gets too cold. This natural “anti-freeze” is not the only defense mechanism they have. These plants also use withered and dead foliage as self-insulation, which is why they look so surreal.
It’s both strange and fascinating to envision dinosaurs roaming amidst these large, ancient plants.
