There is a rainforest tree which seems to set the forest on fire.

This is the Ceibo, the national tree and flower of Argentina.  It has inspired tangos, poetry and folk music as a symbol of courage and strength in the face of adversity.

 

This tree is at its best when seen amid a great rainforest.  This is how Paula and I first saw it in springtime in Calilegua National Park, draped with moss and bursting from the forest canopy like an exploding volcano.

 

Our ‘Living Wild in South America’ expedition visited Calilegua in 2014, the Ceibo trees seemed as if they were on fire and masses of raucous Red-Mitred Parrots were feeding on the scarlet flowers

The Ceibo tree is revered in Argentina and plays a major role in folklore.

According to legend, there was once an indigenous woman named Anahí who lived on the shores of the Paraná River. She was small and unsightly, however her looks were forgotten on summer nights when she came to sing with her beautiful voice to her tribe about their gods and the love of their land.

When the conquistadors came to conquer the land, they took Anahí and others from her tribe as prisoners. One night, the guard of her cell fell asleep and Anahí saw a chance to escape. The guard, however, woke up just as she was getting away and so she stabbed him. His dying shout startled the rest of the soldiers and Anahí was unable to escape. Her punishment for killing the man was to be burnt at the stake.

On the night of her sentence, she was tied to a tree and a fire was lit. The flames quickly caught and Anahí  began to sing to her land.

The following morning, the soldiers stood astounded at the spot of her death.

In place of the ashes they had expected to find, there was a blooming Ceibo tree showing off its splendid red flowers.