KILIMANJARO'S GIANT GROUNDSELS

One of the unique features of Mount Kilimanjaro is its five distinct ecosystems that you’ll go through on your way to the summit and back down.

As the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro itself is outstanding. But as a free-standing mountain whose climate zones become progressively less like the ground-level landscape the further you ascend, Kilimanjaro is especially remarkable as an incubator for isolated, mutated, or rare species found almost nowhere else.

One of the most striking of those species is the giant groundsel varietal Dendrosenecio kilimanjari.

Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is a distinctive plant species native to Kilimanjaro's iconic mountain slopes. It grows up to 10 m (32 f) tall, with thick, upright stems and a crown of sturdy green leaves at the top. This plant is a semi-official emblem of Kilimanjaro, which you may see in many trekkers' pictures. These plants, found nowhere else on Earth, are endemic to Mount Kilimanjaro.

Surviving in the harsh environment of Mount Kilimanjaro, where temperatures often plummet below freezing, the giant groundsel varietal Dendrosenecio kilimanjari has evolved unique adaptations such as water storage in the stem, nyctinastic leaf movement, a natural 'anti-freeze,' and self-insulation through withered and dead foliage.

The giant groundsel varietal Dendrosenecio kilimanjari, along with its counterparts on other East African mountains, is a testament to the power of evolution. While each species is unique, it is believed that they all trace their origins back to a common groundsel ancestor, a journey that began around a million years ago and involved gradual ascent up the slopes through windborne seed distribution.

Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is a distinctive plant species native to Kilimanjaro's iconic mountain slopes. It grows up to 10 m (32 f) tall, with thick, upright stems and a crown of sturdy green leaves at the top. This plant is a semi-official emblem of Kilimanjaro, which you may see in many trekkers' pictures. These plants, found nowhere else on Earth, are endemic to Mount Kilimanjaro.