One of the most important magical creatures throughout the works of Tolkien are trees. From the ents, who look after the woodlands, and play an instrumental part in the war of the ring by attacking Isengard, and removing Saruman from his leadership, to the trees of Fangorn Forest themselves, who are alive and can move and talk as well as any amn or elf, for those who have the ear to listen. There are also the Hurons, unusual trees who have been twisted by spite and hatred at the cruel treatments of their forests, and have turned to killing orcs in the night and burying them in the Death Downs.

RELATED: What Unlikely Creature Was Aragorn Originally Written As?

But, there is one tree that is arguably of more importance during the War or the Ring than all of these other examples, and that is the white tree of Gondor. This is the tree of kings, that has been in the citadel since the Numenoreans first came into the world, and is symbolic of all of the nobility and majesty of the ruling bloodline. As all Lord of the Rings fans know, the tree is withering and dying under the false rule of Denethor the steward, and only springs back to life when Aragorn, the true heir, claims his rightful place on the throne of Gondor.

But there is another tree in Gondor that is equally unusual and is also imbued with protective qualities. The lebethron tree, a dark wooded variety, has also existed for many ages, and is used in Gondor to decorate only the highest of members of society and royal guard. Its whereabouts are kept hidden and are only known by a few, for example Faramir and his Rangers, who hide in their secret stronghold near the fields of Ithillen. It is a most regal wood, and a splendid box carved of this material is the only thing trusted to keep safe the crown of Gondor, which Aragorn later receives at his coronation.

However, during their time spent with Faramir, in which he proves himself of the highest quality, and cares for both them and the ring of power they possess, which he is never even tempted by, Frodo and Sam receive a remarkable and very rare gift. Faramir is afraid for them, as he doesn’t trust the crafty Gollum, and fears that he may be leading them somewhere dangerous, where a lethal and unknown power lies in wait. He knows he cannot save them from their fate, and that they must go forth and destroy the ring as they set out to do, but he bids them depart with two staves to help them along their perilous road. These staves, a walking stick of sorts, is the only thing that keeps them going up the steep stairs of Cirith Ungol, and helps to take the weight off their tired and aching legs.

Sam’s staff in particular though, turns out to be essential in saving the hobbits’ life in a very deadly encounter. After Gollum leads the two unsuspecting victims into the lair of Shelob the spider demon, Sam notices that she is about to attack Frodo. But the cruel Gollum, who made a pact with the demon when he was released from Mordor, to help her catch tasty prey, springs on Sam and prevents him from warning Frodo of his impending doom.

The audience has seen many examples of Gollum having supernatural strength despite his scrawny appearance, such as when Frodo and Sam first meet the creature and he bites Sam in the neck. This scenario is no exception, as he tries to strangle the hobbit in his claw-like grasp. Luckily for Sam, the lebethron stave he was gifted is within reach, and allows him to move much quicker than Gollum can anticipate. Samwise manages to swing round and crack the devil first across the arm to release the grip around the hobbit’s throat, and then across the back, with a force so powerful that it breaks the staff in two.

Without this precious gift, it is quite possible that both Sam and Frodo would have died there in those caves, both meeting a horrible and undeserved death. But thanks, in part, to the kindness of Faramir, the two survive and go on to destroy the ring, saving Middle Earth for the good of all.

MORE: Does Aragorn Have A Dishonorable Side After All?