Bottle tree

Bottle tree

Bottle tree or bottle-tree may refer to:
* "Adansonia" species, the baobabs;
** "Adansonia gregorii", the boab;
* Pachypodium lealii, (Apocynaceae), the bottle tree of Namibia and Angola;
* The genus Moringa, (Moringaceae), of the Madagascar spiny thickets and elsewhere;
* Brachychiton or Kurrajong species, (Malvaceae), of Australia;
* "Ceiba" species, the floss silk tree or "palo borracho" of South America.
* An artificial tree made of glass bottles, usually of the liquor variety, commonly found in lawns of homes in the Delta region of Mississippi.

DID YOU KNOW? Glass "bottle trees" originated in Northern Africa during a period when superstitious people believed that a genii or imp could be captured in a glass bottle. Legend had it that empty glass bottles placed outside the home could "capture" roving (usually evil) spirits at night, and the spirit would be destroyed the next day in the sunshine. This practice was taken to Europe and North America by African slaves. While Europeans adapted them into hollow glass spheres known as "witch balls" the practice of hanging bottles in trees became widespread in the Southern states of North America, where they continue to be used today as colorful garden ornaments.

Bottle trees have been featured as accessories in most of the prestigious flower show garden displays all over the world.

Additionally, glass bottles, which have long been placed in windows for color ("poor man's stained glass"), are also commonly used to line flower beds.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bottle tree — Bottle Bot tle, n. [OE. bote, botelle, OF. botel, bouteille, F. bouteille, fr. LL. buticula, dim. of butis, buttis, butta, flask. Cf. {Butt} a cask.] 1. A hollow vessel, usually of glass or earthenware (but formerly of leather), with a narrow… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bottle tree — any of several trees of the genus Brachychiton, native to Australia, characterized by a bottle shaped swelling of the trunk, as B. rupestris (narrow leaved bottle tree) or B. australis (broad leaved bottle tree). [1840 50] * * * ▪ Brachychiton… …   Universalium

  • bottle tree — noun an Australian tree of the genus Brachychiton • Syn: ↑bottle tree • Hypernyms: ↑tree • Hyponyms: ↑flame tree, ↑flame durrajong, ↑Brachychiton acerifolius, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • bottle-tree — noun an Australian tree of the genus Brachychiton • Syn: ↑bottle tree • Hypernyms: ↑tree • Hyponyms: ↑flame tree, ↑flame durrajong, ↑Brachychiton acerifolius, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bottle Tree Apartments — (Chinchilla,Австралия) Категория отеля …   Каталог отелей

  • bottle tree — /ˈbɒtl tri / (say botl tree) noun 1. any of various tree species with bottle shaped trunks, especially some Australian species of Brachychiton, but also Adansonia gregorii of Australia and Cavanillesia arborea of Brazil. 2. → boab …  

  • bottle tree — noun an Australian tree with a swollen bottle shaped trunk containing water. [Adansonia gregorii (a baobab) and Brachychiton rupestre.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • broad-leaved bottle tree. — See under bottle tree. * * * …   Universalium

  • narrow-leaved bottle tree — /nar oh leevd /. See under bottle tree. * * * …   Universalium

  • broad-leaved bottle tree. — See under bottle tree …   Useful english dictionary

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