Spoiler You have to travel to the far off Angolan Namab desert to find this plant. Where in 1860, working for the Portuguese Government, Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch discovered this unusual plant growing in some of the harshest desert conditions in the world. Welwitschia mirabilis, is probably the longest living plant, a plant that has truly found its niche on the edge of existence. Jerry
Spoiler Welwitschia mirabilis or tree tumbo. The largest recorded specimen is in the Messum Mountains and is 1.8 m high, and another on the Welwitschia Flats near the Swakop River is 1.2 m tall and 8.7 m wide. Carbon dating tells us that on average, welwitschias are 500-600 years old, although some of the larger specimens are thought to be 2000 years old. Their estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years.
It's the odd Welwitschia (well-WITCH-ee-a) plant, which grows in desert areas of Namibia and Angola, two countries in Africa. The Welwitschia has only two leaves that shred into many long, leathery pieces as they grow. Welwitschias provide shelter for small desert animals and are an important part of the web of life in the desert.
