Nimloth (White Tree)

Description

Nimloth, or the "White Tree of Númenor", was given the Kings of Númenor as a gift from the Eldar, and it grew grew in the King's Court. Once a seedling from Celeborn, the "White Tree of Tol Eressëa", it grew strong and the perfume of its flowers filled the capital at night, as the blossoms appeared only at sunset.

Nimloth was cut down and burned around Second Age 3262 when Sauron seduced King Ar-Pharazôn to worship Melkor. The Downfall of Númenor soon followed, as Ar-Pharazôn continued to heed Sauron's words and assembled a great fleet and armament to assault Valinor.

However, Isildur had learnt about this armament from his grandfather Amandil and stole a fruit from Nimloth, sneaking into the courts of the capital from which the Faithful were forbidden and nearly dying in the attempt. This stolen fruit was brought with them when he, together with all of Elendil's family, escaped Númenor by ship. From Nimloth several seedlings grew and were in turn destroyed; Sauron never gave up and managed to destroy one seedling after the other: in Minas Ithil (destroyed when Sauron first captured the city prior to the War of the Last Alliance), in Minas Anor (died when the Great Plague struck Gondor), and in Minas Tirith (died but left standing in the Court of the Fountain when no sapling was found).

The Dead Tree is eventually cut down and interred with royal honors when a new sapling is found in the mountains above Minas Tirith after the coronation of King Elessar.

Another sapling of Nimloth also was found in the mountains above Minas Ithil sometime around 2670 of the Third Age, by hands far less kind. See Morloth the Black.

External References

• The Return of the King, by Tolkien
• The Silmarillion, by Tolkien
• tolkiengateway