Two Trees

The Two Trees of Valinor were created by the Valar to put light back into the world after the destruction of the Two Lamps during the Marring of Arda.

The trees were named Telperion the White and Laurelin the Golden, and were cause for much admiration and love among the first Elves. Telperion was male, and his dark green leaves shone with a silver light, his branches covered with luminous flowers overflowing with silver nectar. This nectar was collected and used both as a light source and as nourishment. Laurelin was female, and her golden leaves shone with a bright hallow light that cast a radiant glow over all of Valinor. Her fruit burned with a golden fire.

During the Darkening of Valinor, Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed the two trees, casting the land into utter darkness. The Noldor and Vanyar of that time still remember the Trees, and their loss carries with them a sadness all Elves feel to this day.

Of Telperion, a single flower remained, and this was set aloft in the sky by the Valar, and became the Moon. A single fruit of Laurelin was all that remained of her, and that was cast into the sky by the Valar and became the Sun. And thus started the First Age.

However, the Vala Yavanna had created an offshoot of Telperion which did not cast a light of its own, but still carried his silvery beauty. This tree, Galathilion, created many seedlings, which in turn spread on. From Galathilion came Celeborn, from Celeborn came Nimloth of Númenor, from and Nimloth came in turn the four White Trees of Gondor and Morloth the Black.