Garoé

The Garoé, Oreodaphne foetens or Rain tree of Hierro island, is a species of plant in the genus Oreodaphne in the Lauraceae family. It is species living in laurisilva a type of laurel forest adapted to Macaronesian islands. It is found in Canary islands, Madeira, Azores.

It is an evergreen fragrant tree of considerable size, which is indigenous to Macaronesian archipelago. This tree is related with Oreodaphne Californica from California and Mexico and other tropical american species. It has also medicinal virtues like to California laurel. The tree, looking like a californian bay has a berries consumed mostly by endemic madeiran pigeon Columba trocaz.

It was a tree sacred to the Bimbaches, the older inhabitants of El Hierro in the Canary Islands and was one of its symbols. Due to its location, where tradewinds occur, the water from the clouds is condensed from the branches from the trees and it later pours rain around the island. This phenomenon takes place throughout the Canary Islands. The legend asserts that the Garoé was a large laurel tree that assured the life of the Bimbaches, providing them water in sufficient amounts for their survival. The Bimbaches later filled water chaffs and water was transported to towns to all parts of the island.

One of many legends says that the water originating from the tree was led to a hole from which the Bimbaches could provide water. It was from this form as they managed to reject the Castilian or Spanish invasion for a certain period of time.

The original tree fell in a storm in 1610. In 1957, another laural was planted in the same location as the Garoé. It has been growing and is presently surrounded by mosses. Clouds continue to pass through the summits of the island and, during foggy days, produce the observable phenomenon of horizontal rain. As it happens with all the legends, the Garoé has been left in herreña conscience as a sacred tree able to provide water to the island.

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