Quiver Tree Forest

The Quiver Tree Forest (Kokerboomwoud in Afrikaans) is a forest and tourist attraction of southern Namibia. It is located about 14 km north-east of Keetmanshoop on the road to Koës, on the Gariganus farm. It comprises about 250 specimens of Aloidendron dichotomum, a species that is also locally known as the quiver tree (Afrikaans: kokerboom) because the San people traditionally used its branches to make quivers. The forest has grown spontaneously; the tallest quiver trees are two to three centuries old. The forest was declared a national monument of Namibia in 1995.

The quiver tree is also known for looking upside down because the "leaves" look somewhat similar to roots. This tree is associated with a long history of folklore, for instance that it will bring good luck to anybody that worships a tree and nurtures it. Since diamonds have been found in Namibia, people say that if one of these trees is dug up, one will find diamonds where it has grown, but since these trees are blessed nobody wants to dig them up.

Near the forest, there is another tourist attraction, spectacular for its unique geology, the Giant's Playground, a vast pile of large dolerite rocks.