We often see goats rambling on the grassland, but you might see a very unusual sight when traveling around Morocco: goats eating on the trees!

The special tree that goats like to climb is the Argan tree (Argania spinosa), a plant that is endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern Morocco. The tree produces small flowers with five yellow petals. Its fruit has thick peel, sweet-smelling pulp that attracts the goats, and a hard nut that contains oil-rich seeds.

The sight of goats perching on the trees is so unique that it attracts numbers of tourists to take pictures. However, since the fruit takes about a year to mature, and ripen in June to July, it means people can only have an authentic spotting during these months.

But out of the drive for profit, many local farmers put the goats on the trees intentionally during tourist season even when there are no fruits on the trees, so they can charge for taking pictures. Such behaviors not only cause goats to suffer from scorching days standing in the sun, but also damage the trees that are already evaluated as Vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Besides, the oil extracted from the seeds of Argan tree is rich in essential fatty acid. It's used in cooking and cosmetics, as well as a treatment for skin diseases. The high demand for its nut earns the plant another name: Morocco's "desert gold."

About 'Plants & Nations' 

"Plants & Nations" is a series of articles and pictures about common plants in the world. It serves as a guide to beautiful plants from different countries. 

For more articles and pictures, please click here:

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(Cover image via VCG)

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