Aloidendron dichotomum rounded crown

An Aloidendron dichotomum or quiver tree crown as large and dense as this one offers a decent shade on a hot Namaqualand day. Not many other kinds of trees succeed here. The problem of finding the next one similarly endowed on the hike in the veld does remain, however, as these trees are scattered but sparsely across the rocky hills and plains.

There are a few exceptions like the Quiver Tree Forest on the road from Nieuwoudtville to Loeriesfontein. Thousands of A. dichotomum trees are scattered there on a range of hills where other vegetation is short and sparse, mostly not covering the sand and stones of this thirsty land.

There is another such Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop in Namibia (Jeppe, 1969; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; Wikipedia).