The ombú tree (Phytolacca Dioica) is, I recently learned, not really a tree at all. Apparently, it’s a massive long-lived evergreen plant. This distinction, however, is like arguing that the tomato is a fruit. Technically, yes, but for all practical purposes…
In any event, though the ombú is not native to Chile, there is a huge specimen in the Park Juan XXIII. Above-ground roots tentacle out from the base and bulbous growths on the trunk act as hand and footholds, making it perfect for climbing. I’ve always held it’s a tree that should figure in magical stories told to small children and, in fact, it did figure in quite a few of mine. My children still refer to the one in Juan XXIII as the fairy tree.
I yearned for my very own ombú and then, a few years back, one germinated spontaneously out of a neglected flower pot in the yard. And I know… of course I know that it was the result of some well-aimed bird shit combined with clement weather, but who’s to say that isn’t its own kind of magic.
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