Faebol Plant
The Faebol (meaning 'Spirit of the Tree') is a symbiotic flowering berry found growing on some trees in the ancient Bolmor Forests. The whole plant had mystical importance for the early Bolmor tree-dwellers, and maintains this ritual importance through the Faebol Meal. The presence of the faebol plant atop a tree usually makes it grow thicker and taller - for this reason (as well as the reasons) trees containing a faebol were favoured by the early Bolmor for building important buildings against.
The faebol does not kill the host tree - and is even thought to give some competitive advantage. Instead, it sits right atop the tree, growing upwards as fast as the tree does, and ensuring that the plant can only ever be found by hunters breaking through the canopy. However, the presence of a faebol plant can be seen much further down the tree - as thin green-and-white tendrils will wind slowly down the trunk.
Trees need a minimum mass for the faebol to properly seed, and for most species of tree this means a height of at least 60ft. This has made commercial farming off the faebol plant almost impossible (as well as taboo among the Bolmor) - one might need to grow 15 tall trees in the hope of one faebol implanting atop them. The one instance in which faebols have been artificially nurtured (though not truly farmed) are in expatriate Bolmor 'homewoods' which will often contain several faebol plants for children preparing the faebol meal.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The plant rests on the uppermost branches of the host tree, and (as it begins to flower) four large white petals begin to form. These will slowly unfurl as the fruit grows, reaching up to a foot in diameter. Within them grows a large berry coloured deep pink. Both the flowers and berry are harvested by the Bolmor - the plant will re-flower within two years as the main body of the plant is actually implanted within the tree branch itself.
Ecology and Habitats
The faebol only grows naturally amid the great expanse of the Bolmor forests. Only there is there the density of tall, healthy trees to allow the faebol to spread naturally. However, Bolmor experiments have found that the plant can be cultivated in a great range of climates - approximately half of Sammerden can hold the faebol on their trees - though there is not usually enough density of tall trees to allow for the faebol to naturally propogate - and it requires specialised Bolmor farmers to help spread the plants across their homewoods.
Lifespan
200+ years
Average Height
10 inches
Average Length
1 foot
Geographic Distribution
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