Nothofagus betuloides, Magellan's beech[1] or guindo, is a tree native to southern Patagonia.
In 1769, Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage.[3]
Its occurrence on Hornos Island earns it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on Earth.[4]
Nothofagus betuloides grows from southern Chile and southern Argentina (40°S) to Tierra del Fuego (56°S). It is found from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft) above mean sea level. One specimen growing near the southeastern corner of Hornos Island (Cape Horn) was identified in 2019 as the southernmost tree in the world.[4]
It is an evergreen tree up to 25 m (82 ft) tall, with a columnar appearance. In its natural environment, it tolerates cold winters and absence of heat in summer. Specimens from the southern forests resist temperatures down to −20 °C (−4 °F).
It succeeds in Scotland. Trees planted in the Faroe Islands, which were imported directly from its southernmost distribution in Tierra del Fuego, have turned out to be very hardy.[5]
The wood has beautiful marks, and is pinkish, hard, and semiheavy; it is used in furniture and construction.
Illustration from specimens collected by the Endeavour, Tierra del Fuego, 1769
Fagus betuloides in Joseph Dalton Hooker's Flora Antarctica 1844–1846, from the Ross expedition of 1839–1843
Nothofagus betuloides, Magellan's beech or guindo, is a tree native to southern Patagonia.
In 1769, Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage.
Its occurrence on Hornos Island earns it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on Earth.
