The unusual baobab tree is unique in everything: in size, proportions, life expectancy. Even its excellent survival will be envied by any plant. Baobab is an amazing tree. It is the brightest representative of the Malvaceae family, living for an amazingly long time in the arid tropics of the African savannas.
The biggest baobab tree
Achieving a good dozen meters in trunk girth, the baobab cannot boast of a special height: 18-25 meters is its usual height. Although there are individual representatives of this species that have broken all records: in 1991, one baobab fell into the famous Guinness book, reaching almost 55 meters in trunk girth, other specimens exceeded the 150-meter height limit. And there are legends about the life expectancy of this giant: it is officially recognized that a tree lives from 1000 to 6000 years. The trunk at the top abruptly breaks off, spreading thick branches to the sides and forming a crown up to 40 meters in diameter. This is a deciduous plant and during the period of shedding leaves it resembles a baobab turned upside down by its roots. The tree whose photopresented, confirms the funny appearance. But it is quite explainable by the conditions of growth on dry African lands. A thick trunk is an accumulator of nutrients and water reserves that the baobab needs. The tree has a second name - Adansonia palmate. This "name" combines the characteristic appearance of 5-7-toed leaves with the perpetuation of the name of the French biologist Michel Adanson.
The legend of the capricious baobab
It is the associations that come to mind with a tree whose roots are at the top instead of a crown, most likely, that served as fertile ground for the birth of the legend about the origin of the baobab. They say that during the creation of the world, the Creator planted a tree in the valley of the full-flowing Congo River, but the plant did not like the coolness and dampness of this place. The Creator heeded his requests and transferred him to the mountain slopes, but the baobab did not like the winds that are born in the gorges and blow around the rocks. And then, tired of the endless whims of the tree, God tore it out of the ground and, turning it over, stuck it upside down in an arid valley. Until now, during the period of leaf shedding, with all its appearance, the amazing baobab plant reminds of the wrath of the gods - a tree that is not at all capricious, on the contrary, has learned to survive and protect all life around.
Interesting facts about the life of baobabs
The incredible vitality of the tree is amazing: it quickly regenerates damaged bark, grows and bears fruit with or without a completely decomposed core. People often use the hollow trunks of the baobab for their needs. In African countries, it is not uncommon to use baobab trunks for grain storage or as water reservoirs. They are adapted for housing by cutting out windows and hanging doors. This is facilitated by the rather soft core of the tree, which is vulnerable, however, to fungal infections. The cavities inside the tree, cleared from the core, have sufficient areas for arranging indoors for various purposes. For example, in Kenya, a baobab grows, which serves as a temporary refuge for wanderers, and in Zimbabwe there is a baobab bus station that can accommodate up to 40 people at a time. In Limpopo, a 6000-year-old giant has opened a baobab bar, which is incredibly popular and is a local landmark.
A tree for all occasions
The universal plant is unique in every way. Baobab flowers with a pleasant smell of musk bloom in the evening, pollination occurs at night, and in the morning theyfall off. Baobab fruits, resembling thick zucchini in shape, hanging on long stalks, are very tasty, have a high content of vitamins and minerals, and can be compared to veal in nutritional value. Outside, they are covered with a fleecy peel. The local population appreciates them for their pleasant taste, quick absorption by the body and the ability to relieve fatigue. The seeds of the fruit are roasted, ground and used to make a quality coffee substitute. The dried inner part of the fruit is able to smolder for a long time, driving away blood-sucking insects, and the ash goesto make oil (surprisingly!) for frying, as well as soap. The leaves of the tree are a storehouse of nutrients. Soups are cooked from them, salads and cold snacks are made. Shoots have a great taste of young asparagus. Baobab is a tree whose pollen is an excellent basis for making glue. Porous bark and soft wood are used to make paper, coarse cloth, and twine resembling Russian hemp.
Medicinal properties of baobab
Ash from burning tree bark is not only a universal fertilizer, but also the main component for the production of very effective medicines for viral colds, feverish conditions, dysentery, heart and vascular diseases, toothache, asthma, insect bites. A tincture made from baobab leaves relieves kidney problems.
Among the wonderful representatives of the African flora, the baobab occupies a leading position. The tree, the photo of which can be seen in the article, is an invaluable gift of nature.
