Sentinel trees are particularly tall deciduous trees that lose their leaves in winter. They tend to have purple flowers that grow in large arrays, and smell faintly of alcohol. Sentinels can reach heights of 450 to 550 feet, with trunks up to 50 feet in diameter not being unheard of. Relying on high winds to disperse their bat-pollinated seeds, sentinel trees rarely grow in groves, with average distances between them being closer to a mile or more in even a densely populated forest. With their massive tap roots and dense wood, they grow slowly and some have lived for many thousands of years. The Karatikan druids of yore often used them as primal anchors when travelling vast distances between forests. More modern peoples use them as beacon or observation towers, and occasionally for timber. Many ancient sentinel trees still stand in the Rakoran forests, as well as the Laekenala Jungles, Gaebrum Forests, and Lirehala Forests.