Baobab (lat. Adansonia digitata)- a tree that grows in African savannas. The baobab is one of the thickest trees in the world - with an average height of 18-25 m, its trunk circumference is about 10 meters. The largest specimens of these tree species reach up to 40-50 meters in girth. According to various estimates, the lifespan of baobabs ranges from 1000 years to 5500 thousand years. Such a large difference is explained by the absence of annual rings, from which the age of the tree can be reliably calculated.
All parts of the baobab are currently very actively used by humans. 
The pulp of the baobab fruit has a huge nutritional value, contains a wide range of amino acids, vitamins, micro- and macroelements, natural acids. Baobab leaves, seeds and fruits have medicinal properties. The fruit's high-quality dietary fiber is of particular value. Residents of the savannas call the baobab the “tree of life.”
Planet earth and its natural world have given us many useful and amazing representatives of flora and fauna, including the baobab. The unique properties of baobab have caused a sharp increase in its popularity in Europe and the USA in recent years as a food ingredient and various dietary supplements.
Baobab
- a unique tree. Its huge trunk, swollen like a barrel, is capable of storing water during the rainy season. He is not afraid of anything, even sandstorms, since his huge roots are well anchored in the ground. During the dry season, its leaves turn yellow, the tree seems to shrink and experience an unfavorable time, slowing down its vital activity. Even termites cannot damage baobab wood - it is saturated with moisture, like a sponge.
Baobabs bring great benefits to people. The leaves are eaten as a seasoning, ropes are woven from the bark, baskets and hammocks are woven, and the fruits are valued for their tasty pulp. Monkeys also love to eat baobab fruits.
Trunk The old baobab tree is full of niches in which birds take refuge, escaping from sandstorms or predators. If a fire occurs in the savannah, the baobab tree does not burn, since its wood is saturated with water, and can serve as a refuge for snakes and other small rodents.
I thought for a long time about what I should tell readers about in my column. My thoughts carried me to distant Africa. And I decided to tell about a tree called baobab. Did you know that the baobab tree lives for more than a thousand years?! After reading my column, you will learn even more facts from the life of the baobab.
Baobab is famous for its unusual proportions. This is one of the thickest trees in the world - with an average trunk circumference of 9-10 m, its height is only 18-25 m. At the top, the trunk is divided into thick, almost horizontal branches, forming a large crown, up to 38 m in diameter. During the dry period, in winter, when the baobab sheds its leaves, it takes on the curious appearance of a tree growing with its roots upward.
African legend.
An African legend says that the Creator planted a baobab tree in the Congo River valley, but the tree began to complain of dampness. Then the Creator transplanted it to the slope of the Moon Mountains, but even here the baobab was not happy. Angry at the tree's constant complaints, God tore it out and threw it onto dry African soil. Since then, the baobab has been growing upside down.
Life of a baobab.
The loose, porous wood of the baobab tree is capable of absorbing water like a sponge during the rainy season, which explains the unusual thickness of these trees - they are, in fact, huge water reservoirs. The collected liquid is protected from evaporation by a thick, up to 10 cm, grayish-brown bark, which is also loose and soft - a dent remains on it if struck with a fist; however, its interior is held together by strong fibers.
Baobab flowers are large with five petals and purple stamens, on hanging stalks. They open in the late afternoon and live only one night, attracting the bats that pollinate them with their aroma. In the morning, the flowers wither, acquiring an unpleasant putrid odor, and fall off.
Next, oblong fruits develop that resemble cucumbers or melons, covered with a thick, hairy peel. Inside the fruits are filled with sourish mealy pulp with black seeds. The fruits are edible. Because of the addiction of monkeys (baboons) to them, the baobab was nicknamed “monkey breadfruit”.
The lifespan of baobabs is controversial - they do not have growth rings from which age can be reliably calculated. Calculations carried out using radiocarbon dating showed more than 5,500 years for a tree with a diameter of 4.5 m, although according to more conservative estimates, baobabs live “only” 1,000 years.
Use of baobabs.
Huge hollows often form in the trunks of these “fat green guys.” Thus, the outstanding English traveler David Livingston wrote that he saw 20-30 people sleeping sweetly in the hollow of a dried baobab tree trunk, and no one bothered anyone!!!
This is interesting!
- In the Republic of Kenya, on the Nairobi-Mobasa highway, there is a baobab shelter - a hollow in it is equipped with doors and a window.
In the Republic of Zimbabwe, a bus station was installed in the hollow of a tree, the waiting room of which can accommodate up to 40 people.
Near the town of Kasane in the Republic of Botswana there grows a baobab tree, the hollow of which was used as a prison.
In Namibia there is a baobab tree, in the hollow of which there is a bathhouse. There's even a bathtub.
The hollow trunks of baobab trees are used for temporary dwellings and storerooms, and in some cases they were specially adapted for water storage tanks.
Quite effective medicines against colds, fever, dysentery, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, toothache, and insect bites are obtained from the ash of baobab bark.
Young leaves are added to salads, dry leaves are used as spices; in Nigeria they are used to make soup. Young shoots are boiled like asparagus.
Flower dust is used to make glue.
The pulp of the fruit is also dried and ground into powder; diluted in water, it gives a soft drink, slightly similar to “lemonade”, hence another name for the baobab - lemonade tree.
The seed of the fruit is edible raw, and a coffee substitute is made from roasted and crushed seeds.
The dried hard shell of the fruit is used instead of a glass. The smoke from burning the dry insides of the fruit drives away mosquitoes and other annoying insects.
The ashes of the burnt fruit are used to make soap and, most importantly, oil for frying.
- East African women wash their hair with powder made from the fruits of the baobab tree, and they paint their faces with the red juice contained in its roots.
In the mythology of many African peoples, the baobab personifies life, fertility and appears as the guardian of the earth.
Wow! This is what a useful tree Mother Nature gave Africa! Maybe that's why local aborigines live more than a hundred years?
The regions where baobabs grow can be called a real “wonder of the world.” The wood of this plant has an extremely soft and porous structure, which, after infection with a fungus, gradually collapses, forming huge voids. However, this does not particularly affect the viability of the tree; even if it is completely hollow inside, it can survive for several more decades. The natives of Africa have adapted to use this feature for practical purposes (for storing food and even arranging homes).
Where do baobabs grow?
In Africa, these giants grow only in arid tropical regions. As a rule, the immediate area is covered with grass, sparse bushes and trees, which are able to survive in conditions of a long hot period followed by the rainy season.
Baobab acclimatization has an interesting history. The tree, like a sponge, absorbs nutrients along with moisture, which is retained due to the wide trunk. Its diameter often reaches ten meters or more. It is worth noting that the widest sample from the family in question had a width of 54.5 meters and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Peculiarities
Regardless of the area where baobabs grow, they are small in height compared to their width. This figure ranges from 17 to 25 meters. This configuration allows the tree to survive the burning rays of the sun.
At the same time, water in the plant is retained without evaporating using the bark, the thickness of which is about 100 millimeters. The rhizome plays a significant role in maintaining the desired microclimate; it spreads in several elements over tens of meters, collecting available moisture. It is noteworthy that in dry seasons, with excessive consumption of its own water reserves, the baobab tree slightly decreases in size, and after the rainy season it returns to its normal state.
Plant life
Where baobabs grow, interesting transformations are observed. During the dry season, the tree sheds its leaves and becomes like a plant with its roots sticking up. There is a belief among the local population that the baobab tree was punished by God for not wanting to live where it was intended.
After shedding its leaves, the tree begins to bloom (October-November). Round buds appear on the branches. At night they bloom, turning into large flowers (about 200 mm). The shoots are curved white petals with dark red stamens in the form of balls. The life span of a flower is only one night. In this short time, it manages to attract bats and fruit bats with its aroma. When they die, the remains of the shoots wither, emit an unpleasant odor and fall off.
Soon oval or round fruits appear, having a thick skin with hairs, containing sourish edible pulp. Baboons really like this filling, which is why Africans sometimes call the plant “breadfruit for monkeys.”
Vitality
We discussed above in what zone and where baobab grows. The following is some interesting information about this unique plant. The tree is distinguished by its survivability; although it has many internal holes, although it settles, gradually turning into a pile of fiber, it lives for several more tens, or even hundreds of years.
The bark of this plant has no less amazing properties. If it is completely torn off, the tree does not die, since the bark quickly grows back. Even after being cut down or damaged by elephants, remaining with one root, the plant will try to continue its growth, albeit in a lying position.
Scientists have not been able to establish the exact period of life of the baobab; all hypotheses tend to believe that the plant lives for at least a thousand years. It is worth noting that this tree does not have rings, and its exact age can only be determined using radiocarbon dating.
Application
On the mainland where the baobab grows, its purpose does not end as food for baboons and elephants. The inner part of the tree is used by local residents as warehouses. Other parts of the plant are also used:
- Bark is used to make fibers, which are then used to make belts, bags, sacks, and nets. From the ash, medicinal tinctures are obtained to treat various diseases.
- Shoots and foliage - young elements are eaten, like asparagus, the dry parts are used to prepare spices.
- Pulp. The fruit filling tastes like ginger and is used to prepare a soft drink. The ash from this part is used to produce oil, which is used to cook food.
- The seeds are eaten raw. A drink reminiscent of coffee is prepared from dry seeds.
- In addition, pollen, pulp and ash are used in cosmetology and for making glue.
In what country and where do baobabs grow? As already noted, the main habitat of these trees is tropical African savannas. Below are some interesting facts related to this unique plant:
- In winter, the regions where baobabs grow are too dry, so they shed their leaves.
- Some African tribes make glasses from the dried fruits of the tree.
- The pulp of the plant is used in Kenya to make sweets.
- In one night, a baobab flower manages to open, attract pollinators and wither, emitting an extremely unpleasant odor.
- The height of the plants in question does not exceed their diameter by more than 2-3 times.
- The baobab adorns the coats of arms of two states.
- In Zimbabwe, there is a bus station located inside a huge tree.
- The largest specimens reach a girth of 50 meters or more.
- The baobab tree is capable of storing more than 100 thousand liters of liquid inside itself.
- The vitamin C content in one fruit is identical to four oranges.
- The African baobab is pollinated by one of the species of bats that crash into the flowers, hunting for insects, and then spread the pollen on their bodies to other plants.
- The plant has no vegetation for nine months of the year, which looks very strange and unusual.
In conclusion
Where baobab trees grow, there is a belief among local residents that the tree used to be a person. He angered the Almighty, and in revenge he turned him into a plant, which he planted upside down. By the way, the second name for baobab among Africans is “inverted tree.”
This type of tree grows in the dry climate of Africa. The thickness of the tree is about 8 meters, the height is up to 25 meters. Although, one specimen, included in the Guinness Book of Records, had a diameter of more than 16 meters!
Most plants and animals have official names in Latin. This fate did not spare the hero of this article. Its official name is Adansonia digitata. The tree was named after the French explorer and botanist Michel Adanson. Well, “finger” - because of the shape of the leaves.
The baobab tree is so large in part because in winter in Africa the climate becomes very dry and the tree has to store up moisture, which it uses up during dry periods.
Interestingly, towards the end of the year the tree begins to bloom. But he does it in a very unusual way. Flowers bloom in the evening only to wither and fall the next morning. You can guess the size of the flowers yourself.
Also on the baobab there are fruits that are covered with a thick peel and which are much loved by monkeys.
Since the baobab trunk contains a huge amount of water, it gradually begins to rot from the inside.
Interestingly, it is impossible to accurately determine the age of the trees, since they do not have rings on the trunk. However, scientists agree on a maximum of a thousand years.
Interesting video about baobabs
Besides its impressive appearance, almost any part of wood can be used for something. Thus, local residents use it in the preparation of nets, clothing, salads, coffee, medicines, drinks, dishes, soap, shampoos, and oil.
In especially large trees, residents cut down rooms for themselves to live in.
Well, the most interesting cases are the placement of a bus stop, a prison, a bathhouse in the trunk.
As you can see, baobab is a very useful tree. And one can only regret that the tree does not grow in our climate.)
Impressive baobab trees can surprise even a seasoned botanist. Where else could such an amazing creation of nature grow, if not in Africa, famous for its strange flora and fauna? These mighty trees live a very long time and they have adapted to survive even in desert conditions. It is really very interesting to admire them.
Facts about baobabs
- Like most other deciduous trees, they shed their leaves for the winter. True, not because of the cold, but because of the heat and dryness.
- In winter, that is, the driest time, baobabs “lose weight” - they decrease in volume, as they begin to consume the moisture stored in the trunk.
- Old baobabs are usually hollow inside. One of these even has a hotel room.
- In the African country of Zimbabwe there is a small train station built inside a giant old baobab tree.
- Large baobab flowers reach 20 centimeters in diameter, but their lifespan is very short - only one night, after which they wither and fall off.
- Baobab wood is porous - this helps it store a lot of water. And thanks to this, baobabs are not cut down, since it is difficult to build something durable from such material.
- Baobabs have fruits. Outwardly, they resemble shaggy cucumbers or melons. By the way, they are quite edible, and monkeys readily feed on them. These fruits taste like fresh ginger.
- In Madagascar, the baobab is considered a national symbol ().
- The girth of the trunks of the oldest and largest baobab trees known to us reaches 50 meters.
- Baobabs are pollinated not by bees, but by bats, which feed on nectar.
- The bark stripped from this tree grows back very quickly.
- A felled baobab may well take root again and continue to exist in this form.
- It is not known for certain how long baobabs live. At least a thousand years, but some scientists call the period 4 thousand years or more.
- Some African tribes roast baobab fruits and then brew what they get, resulting in a drink that is vaguely similar to coffee.
- From the ash of baobab wood, African healers make remedies for colds and other diseases, and the bark is used to make fishing nets and ropes.
- Informally, the baobab is sometimes called the lemonade tree, since its fruits, dried, crushed and dissolved in water, allow you to prepare a drink reminiscent of lemonade.
- The baobab is depicted on the coats of arms of two countries - the Central African Republic (CAR) and Senegal.
- Young baobab leaves are edible. Some Africans use them as one of the ingredients for salad.
- This is one of the few trees that does not have growth rings. That is why it is difficult to determine the age of the baobab.
- Most often, the baobab tree is only three times as tall as it is wide, but there are exceptions.
