These two umbrella trees are situated in a private school compound in Umuahia, Nigeria. Their stems have been cut so as to cause the formation of a range of branches that will grow more or less horizontally as umbrella trees.are characteristically known to. The stems have even been painted to make them colourful.
At the moment, these branches are still young and developing. In the next 20 months or so, they would have reached a reasonable level of maturity. At that time, their usefulness would become obvious.
The ultimate aim is for them to cast shadows around that area which is a gathering point for students, especially during morning assembly. The shade would help to protect the students from both direct ultraviolet rays and heat from the sun which are high in tropical Africa.
Shadows are really, important to man!
