Quiver trees in Namibia

Stretching to the sky. Quiver tree in Namibia

The quiver tree is a rare plant uniquely suited to Namibia's harsh, arid weather. Interestingly, the quiver tree is not a tree at all—they are a highly endangered species of aloe plant, which is a succulent. The name comes from the indigenous San people who made quivers out of tube-shaped branches to hold their arrows while hunting. If you visit the Quiver Tree Forest during Namibia's wintertime–May through July—you will witness the plant's flowers in bright, yellow bloom.