9 of the World’s Most Unusual Trees

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7Kauri tree, New Zealand

The towering kauris of the north island of New Zealand can grow to 150ft (45m) tall. They stand like ancient columns in the forest, their colossal mottled-grey trunks uninterrupted by branches until they’re well clear of the understory.

Resin from the trees, which occasionally drops off in lumps, accreted for thousands of years – that is, until entrepreneurs discovered in the late 19th century that it was the perfect ingredient for outdoor varnish.