Baobab is also used in veterinary treatments. When a tree dies is quickly decomposes into a heap of soggy fibrous pulp due to its peculiar structure. The wood of the baobab is very soft and fibrous.
When the tree dies it disintegrates into a pulpy mass within a few weeks. The baobab also has some magical uses. It is said that a drink made from soaking the seeds in water will protect you against crocodiles, and that many of the flowers are inhabited by spirits. Anyone who plucks the flowers will be torn apart by lions. All in all a very iconic African tree. There is some worry about them long term however, because the young ones need to be left alone for many years to establish.
As elephants are becoming more and more restricted to where they can live they are not giving the new trees long enough to grow unhindered, and so there appears to be a shortage of smaller Baobabs.
Baobab Facts Two species in Mainland Africa Many trees are thousands of years old Live in semi arid areas and cannot stand waterlogging Leafless for much of the year as an adaption to the dry climate This baobab has already dropped its leaves in preparation for the long dry season ahead Can store huge amounts of water The tree gets thinner in the Summer Flowers October to December at night Depends on bats and bushbabies for pollination The hollowed out centre of the tree has long been used s a hideout by poachers Bears incredibly important edible fruits which are high in minerals and vitamin C Has a wide range of medicinal applications There are many legends and magical uses associated with the baobab Withstand damage from elephants Elephants have gouged this baobab trunk but the tree is still alive.
The semi arid regions of Kenya such as Meru National Park also feature a lot of baobabs The lifespan of the baobab is very long, with most of the large trees in Tarangire being over years old. A baobab in flower in October, in anticipation of the coming rains due any time in Meru It is adapted to life in seasonally arid areas. The baobab is sometimes known as the Upside Down tree. They also act as an important source of food, water and shelter for a wide range of animals, including birds, lizards, monkeys and even elephants — which can eat their bark to provide some moisture when there is no water nearby.
The flowers are pollinated by bats , which travel long distances to feed on their nectar. Numerous insects also live on the baobab tree. Ancient as they are, baobab trees can be cultivated , as some communities in West Africa have done for generations. Some farmers are discouraged by the fact that they can take years to fruit — but recent research has shown by grafting the branches of fruiting trees to seedlings they can fruit in five years.
This process, called domestication, does not refer to genetic engineering, but the selection and cultivation of the best trees of those available in nature. It seems straightforward, but it takes time to find the best trees — meanwhile many of them are dying.
And, hopefully, if scientists are able to perfect the process of identifying the best trees to cultivate, one day they will become as common in our supermarkets as apples or oranges. However, the term ' old age ' is always a secondary cause. This means it cannot fight damage as well as when it was younger. The baobab tree is known as the tree of life, with good reason. It can provide shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African savannah regions.
Adansonia digitata native to the African continent is the most widespread of all baobab species. Numerous insects and animals, big and small, are dependent on the baobab. Baboons feed on the baobab's fruit, bush babies and fruit bats drink its nectar and pollinate its flowers, birds nest in its branches, and elephants have been reported to flatten entire trees and eat them.
Baobab is a good source of many important vitamins and minerals. For instance, the pulp is high in vitamin C, antioxidants and several key minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc 1.
The leaves are rich in calcium and high-quality proteins that can be easily digested. With its velvet skin, the baobab feels like a coconut in the flush of youth - minus the long hairs. But baobab - pronounced bay-oh-bab - jam, which is made from the pulp, is more appetising. It looks like dark honey. The taste is tart - akin to lemon curd - and the texture gritty like a tangy pear.
Identifying whether a tree is dead or living can sometimes be a very tricky task — especially in the winter time when every tree can look dead. While it is possible, yet sometimes difficult, to revive some sick or dying trees it is impossible to bring a dead tree back to life. The size of the tree varies, it can shrink and expand depending on its needs. Elephants know that baobabs store water and especially in the dry season when water is scarce they look for baobab trees to quench their thirst.
The bark of the baobab is soft enough for an elephant to poke a hole in the bark. In Stock. Old baobabs are not the only trees which are affected by climatic changes. Ponderosa pine and pinyon forests in the American West are dying at an increasing rate as the summers get warmer in the region. There are nine species of baobab tree in the world: one in mainland Africa, Adansonia digitata , the species that can grow to the largest size and to the oldest age ; six in Madagascar; one that grows across the Middle East and parts of Asia; and one in Australia.
The mainland African baobab was named after the French botanist Michel Adanson, who described the baobab trees in Senegal. The African baobab is a remarkable species. Not only because of its size and lifespan but also in the special way it grows multiple fused stems.
In the space between these stems called false cavities bark grows, which is unique to the baobab. They also have more than uses. The leaves, rich in iron, can be boiled and eaten like spinach.
The seeds can be roasted to make a coffee substitute or pressed to make oil for cooking or cosmetics.
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