An amazing tree - baobab. Baobab - an unpretentious, long-lived tree Baobab plant
The baobab is an unusual, delightful tree, impressive in its thickness. Its diameter can reach thirty meters with a low height. Because of this feature, when walking through places where baobab grows, you feel like you are in a cartoon with plants pressed down on top, which did not break, but became thick. These trees can be found in Australia and Africa. Outwardly they are similar, but the African species have some differences.
Baobab has many names: inverted carrot, crab, nest. The scientific name of the plant is Adansonia palmata, a member of the Salvaceae family.
Peculiarities
The baobab received its name in honor of the famous French scientist, botanist M. Adanson. There are many legends associated with this plant.
There are eight species of baobab in the world. All of them have features that are characteristic only of this species. One of the unusual properties is the loose wood, which is able to absorb moisture during rains. It is because of this property that the plant has a huge, thick trunk. Usually, where the baobab grows, the rains come seasonally.
Water in the trunk
According to some sources, in one season a tree can absorb and store up to one hundred thousand liters of water. When the area where the baobab grows becomes dry, the tree uses up its water reserves. This property leads to a decrease in trunk diameter and loss of foliage.
Usually it is always hot in the places where baobab grows. The accumulated moisture is protected from evaporation by a very thick bark - about ten centimeters.
Description of Adansonia
From October to December the plant begins to bloom with large white flowers. In cross section they reach twenty centimeters and have a strong aroma. They open at night for pollination: bats do this. In the morning the flowers wither and begin to smell unpleasant.
In place of the flowers, oblong fruits are formed, reminiscent of cucumbers: their peel is covered with villi. The fruit is edible, with a high content of calcium and vitamin C. Its nutritional value is equal to that of beef.
The pulp is dried and ground into powder, with which refreshing drinks are prepared by diluting it with water. It helps to quickly restore strength.
The seeds of the fruit are roasted and brewed like coffee, and the ashes are used to make excellent soap. The leaves have healing properties. Where the baobab tree grows, not only its berries, but also its leaves are collected. They are used to make tinctures that help treat fever, and to cook soups.
At the end of its life, the tree dies unusually: it settles, leaving a lot of fibers. But such an event is rare, because adansonia is very tenacious: the oldest tree found is more than six thousand years old. It is difficult to accurately determine the age of growing trees, since they do not have annual rings. For this purpose, radiocarbon analysis is carried out. For your information, studies of trees with a diameter of 4.5 meters have shown that their age is more than five thousand years.
Legend
Each continent of the Earth is unique in its vegetation, which is one of its distinguishing features. Knowing where and on what continent the baobab grows, you can guess that this type of plant cannot be found in other parts of the world.
According to one African legend, God and the baobab quarreled. This happened in those distant times when the world was still young. In anger, the Lord pulled out the tree, and having calmed down, he planted it back again, but at that time he was absent-minded, so its roots came out. This legend explains that the crown has few leaves, and the trunk of the baobab is specific.
The biggest tree
When looking for answers to the questions of what a baobab is and where it grows, you immediately find information about the world’s largest tree of this species. Its dimensions are impressive: more than fifty meters in diameter and more than twenty meters in height. It grows in South Africa, and the tree is called sunland baobab.
In appearance it is unlike any other plant of the species. It has an unusual cavity that houses a small pub. Moreover, nothing had to be done artificially: the cavity formed itself.
The pub was built in 1933, and it is still alive. Tourists from all over the world come to this place to drink a glass of beer and take pictures near the giant tree.
Another hollow was found in Botswana. However, another structure was made from it - a prison for prisoners.
A tree for every need
It would seem that botanists already know everything: how and where baobabs grow, what kind of fruits they have, how they die, and yet they are discovering some new information about this unusual tree. For example, scientists know how plants grow and how they live, but the features of their use by people are truly unique. Local residents use the entire tree: they eat fruits, seeds, collect leaves, bark, and make oil.
Water is extracted from it, used as shelter, medicine and food are prepared. The bark replaces pepper, and dry leaves replace seasonings. The pulp of the fruit is rich in vitamins C and B. It tastes like ginger. Flour is prepared from the dried fruits; when diluted with water, something like lemonade is obtained. Because of this feature, the plant is called a lemonade tree. Of course, it is not common in America and European countries, but some manufacturers have begun to use it in the production of exotic drinks. Pepsi and Cola with baobab are in great demand.
The trunk fiber is used to make ropes, fabrics, and weave fishing nets. The roots of the tree produce red juice, which women use to wash their hair and also dye their hair.
What else is made from wood and what does baobab look like? Where it grows, more precisely, in those areas where this tree is found, local residents use it as utensils. The dried fruits are cleaned and used as glasses. But you can see what a baobab looks like in the photo.
Tree of Life
The baobab tree is often called the tree of life. And this is actually true. Scientists have proven that it contains a huge amount of amino acids, vitamins and other elements. In terms of the amount of antioxidants, it is superior to oranges, kiwi, and blueberries, and in terms of vitamin C content it is not inferior to bananas and citrus fruits.
The fruits contain a large amount of B vitamins. They also contain: magnesium, fiber, pectins, manganese and other useful elements.
Since ancient times, the plant has been widely used in medicine for the treatment and prevention of a variety of ailments. It is used for dysbacteriosis and diarrhea. Baobab is used to prepare cosmetic products that help improve the growth and structure of nails and hair.
Products developed on the basis of baobab help with anemia and osteoporosis. Recently, biological supplements have begun to be produced in America, among which is Baobab Life.
To treat toothache, asthma, and colds, ash obtained from the bark is used. But the oil is used in cosmetology, as well as in the development of medications for psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
Natural growth area
As already mentioned, the plant is found in Africa, but where do baobabs grow, in what natural zone? These trees are found in the African savanna, where unique climatic conditions are created for the growth and development of these special representatives of the flora.
Adansonia is very tenacious. When it falls, even if one root touches the ground, the tree will live. True, it will change the direction of growth: instead of a vertical direction, it will grow horizontally.
It is believed that the African tree brings life and fertility. It is depicted on the coat of arms of the Central African Republic and Senegal. So far, this plant has not been fully studied - it holds many mysteries and secrets that have yet to be discovered.
Baobab (lat.Adansonia digitata
)
- a tree growing in African savannas. One of the thickest trees in the world - with an average height of 18-25 m, the circumference of its trunk is up to 10 m. The largest specimens reach 40-50 m in girth.
They grow up to 6000 years. Unusually tenacious.
All parts of the baobab tree are used by humans.
The pulp of baobab fruits has enormous nutritional value and 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” or the “pharmacy tree.”
According to Wikipedia, baobab is traditionally used to make soap, coffee substitute, edible oil, etc.
The unique properties of this tree have caused a sharp increase in its popularity in Europe and the USA in recent years as a food ingredient and various dietary supplements. Many medicines have emerged from baobab fruits. It is predicted that the baobab could become a real “discovery” of the new decade.
Properties of baobab fruits:
Powerful antioxidant:
- 10 times more than an orange
- 6 times more than blueberries or blueberries
- 4 times more than an apple or kiwi
- 2 times more than Tibetan goji berry
Rich source of vitamin C: Vitamin C content is 6 times higher than that of an orange
contains 6 more potassium than bananas
contains polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 (vitamin F)
contains more iron than red meat
contains more magnesium than spinach
contains 2 times more calcium than milk
contains 9 out of 10 essential amino acids
Beneficial properties of baobab fruits:
Treats and prevents dysbiosis, stimulates the growth of its own normal intestinal microflora
normalizes stool, treats diarrhea
restores intestinal motility
treats and prevents gastritis and irritable stomach syndrome
used to prevent colon cancer
has a powerful detoxification effect
improves quality skin, nails and hair
provides anti-allergenic action
effective in treating osteoporosis
reduces phlebeurysm
effective in treating hemorrhoids
prevents anemia and anorexia
maintains a high functional state of athletes, as well as smokers and people living in environmentally unfavorable places and employed in hazardous industries
dietary component for patients with type 2 diabetes
improves immunity, has an adaptogenic effect
Baobab oil is used externally to combat dermatitis, eczema, manifestations of psoriasis
protects against free radicals
exhibits antiviral activity
normalizes hormonal balance (this property of baobab is especially useful for women)
used as a dietary food for celiac disease
relieves fatigue, increases energy
causes a feeling of fullness, prevents overeating
Useful components of Baobab fruit pulp
Vitamins
Vitamin C – 295 mg
Vitamin A – 200 mg
Vitamin B1(thiamine)– 0.04 mg
Vitamin B2(riboflavin)– 0.06 mg
Vitamin B3 (PP, Niacin)– 2.16 mg
Vitamin B6(pyridoxine)– 2.13 mg
Natural acids
alpha-linolenic(precursor to omega-3)
Omega 3, Omega-6, Omega-9 (vitamin F)
lemon
wine
apple
amber
Minerals(content per 100 grams of fruit):
Calcium (up to 300 mg)
Phosphorus (up to 210 mg)
Iron (7 mg)
Potassium (2.3 mg)
Sodium (1.86 mg)
Magnesium (0.10 mg)
Zinc (0.064 mg)
Manganese (2.07 mg)
Baobab is unique in everything: in size, proportions, life expectancy. Even its excellent survival rate will be the envy of any plant. Baobab is an amazing tree. He is the most prominent representative of the African savannahs, which live for an amazingly long time in the arid tropics.
The largest baobab tree
Reaching a good ten meters in girth of the trunk, the baobab cannot boast of any particular 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 was included in the famous Guinness Book, reaching almost 55 meters in trunk girth, other specimens exceeded the 150-meter height limit. And there are even legends about the lifespan of this giant: it is officially recognized that the tree lives from 1000 to 6000 years. The trunk ends abruptly at the top, 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 its leaves it resembles a baobab tree turned upside down. The tree, the photo of which is presented, confirms its funny appearance. But it can be fully explained by the growing conditions on dry African lands. The thick trunk is an accumulator of nutrients and water reserves that the baobab needs. The tree has a second name - Adansonia palmata. This “name” combines the characteristic appearance of 5-7-fingered leaves with the perpetuation of the name of the French biological researcher Michel Adanson.
The Legend of the Capricious Baobab
It was the associations that came to mind with a tree whose roots are located at the top instead of the crown, most likely, that served as fertile ground for the birth of the legend about the origin of the baobab. They say that when the world was created, the Creator planted a tree in a deep valley, but the plant did not like the coolness and dampness of this place. The Creator heeded his requests and moved him to the mountain slopes, but the baobab did not like the winds generated in the gorges and blowing over the rocks. And then, tired of the endless whims of the tree, God tore it out of the ground and, turning it over, stuck its roots up in an arid valley. Until now, during the period of shedding its leaves, the baobab tree, with its entire appearance, reminds of the wrath of the gods - a tree that is not at all capricious, on the contrary, it has learned to survive and protect all living things around.
The incredible vitality of the tree is amazing: it quickly regenerates damaged bark, grows and bears fruit with a completely decomposed core or in its absence. People often use the hollow trunks of baobab trees for their needs. 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 this is facilitated by the rather soft core of the tree, which, however, is vulnerable to fungal infections. The cavities inside the tree, cleared of the core, have sufficient areas for arranging indoor spaces for various purposes. For example, in Kenya, a baobab grows, serving as a temporary shelter for wanderers, and in Zimbabwe there is a baobab bus station that can accommodate up to 40 people at a time. In Limpopo, a 6,000-year-old giant opened a baobab bar, which is incredibly popular and is a local landmark.
A tree for all occasions
The universal plant is unique in all its manifestations. Baobab flowers with a pleasant musky scent bloom in the evening, pollination occurs at night, and in the morning they
fall off. The fruits of the baobab, resembling thick zucchini in shape, hanging on long stalks, are very tasty, have a high content of vitamins and minerals, and can be equivalent in nutritional value to veal. On the outside they are covered with a fleecy skin. The local population appreciates them for their pleasant taste, rapid absorption by the body and ability to relieve fatigue. The seeds of the fruit are roasted, crushed and used to prepare a high-quality coffee substitute. The dried inner part of the fruit can smolder for a long time, driving away blood-sucking insects, and the ash is used to make oil (surprisingly!) for frying, as well as soap. The leaves of the tree are a storehouse of useful substances. They are used to make soups, salads and cold appetizers. The shoots of young asparagus have an excellent taste. Baobab is a tree whose pollen is an excellent base for making glue. Paper, coarse fabric, and twine, reminiscent of Russian hemp, are made from porous bark and soft wood.
Medicinal properties of baobab
Ash from combustion is not only a universal fertilizer, but also the main component for the production of very effective medicines for viral colds, fevers, dysentery, heart and vascular diseases, toothache, asthma, and insect bites. A tincture prepared from baobab leaves relieves kidney disease.
Among the wonderful representatives of African flora, the baobab occupies a leading position. The tree, a photo of which can be seen in the article, is an invaluable gift of nature.
The baobab is the most characteristic tree of the African savannah. It is famous for its unusual proportions. This amazing and mystical tree sometimes reaches 30 meters in height and more than 10 meters in width. Baobabs take a variety of shapes from jugs to teapots... Baobab wood is loose and contains a lot of water, which the plant stores for the dry season. The baobab tree can store as much as 120,000 liters of water to withstand severe drought conditions...
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 constant complaints of the tree, God tore it out and threw it onto dry African soil. Since then, the baobab has been growing upside down.
Baobab is a sacred tree in Africa. And many myths and legends are associated with it... For example, if you give a baby a drink from a container made of baobab wood, he will become strong and powerful...
And if you dare to pick a Baobab flower, a lion will eat you... Well, if you drink the water in which the seeds of this tree were soaked, you will become invulnerable to a crocodile...
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No one can say exactly how old the baobab is - it does not have annual rings like other trees. No one doubts that it is a long-liver, and an age of a thousand years is considered quite normal for this plant. Some researchers even say that baobabs live for five thousand years!
There are as many as 8 species of baobabs in the world.
The wide trunk of the baobab at the top splits into many intricately curved branches. Its small leaves do not correspond to the size of the tree. But it turns out that it is precisely these leaves that enable the tree to tolerate drought well. The smaller the leaf size, the smaller the area of evaporation and the greater the opportunity to retain moisture. During the dry season, trees usually shed their leaves. The baobab tree spends 9 months of the year without leaves. In general, the leaves are edible.
Local residents have found use for almost any part of the baobab tree. From its bark a coarse, strong fiber is obtained, which is used to make fishing nets, ropes, mats and fabrics. Young leaves are added to salads, dry leaves are used as spices; in Nigeria they are used to make soup. The pulp of the fruit, which tastes like ginger and is rich in vitamins C and B, is 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. Roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute.
The fruits of baobabs are ovoid, thick-walled, tomentose-pubescent capsules; they contain many small black seeds distributed by animals. The seeds are embedded in white pulp, the sour taste of which attracts many animals, especially monkeys, which is why the baobab is also called monkey bread.
Baobab fruits, as scientists have found, are rich in vitamins C, B1, B2; they also contain large quantities of calcium and antioxidants. At the same time, baobab is 6 times higher in vitamin C than oranges, and its calcium content is 2 times higher than in milk.
At the beginning of the wet season, huge flowers (15-20 cm in diameter) bloom. They hang on long stalks like large snow globes with purple stamens. Each baobab flower lives only one night and withers at dawn. Feasting on the pollen and nectar of flowers, bats and lemurs pollinate them. At night, these animals mysteriously rustle the leaves on the tree. No wonder Africans believed that a spirit lives in every baobab flower.
After flowering, small fruits appear, which, growing, become the size of a zucchini.
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Until recently, baobab was prohibited from being eaten in Europe, but a couple of years ago permission was received. True, Europeans will become acquainted with the new product only in a processed form. The pulp of baobab fruits is planned to be used in fruit cocktails and nectars, as well as an additive in muesli.
In local medicine, the fruit pulp, juice, leaves and bark were used as remedies against various fevers and dysentery. Medicines similar to quinine are obtained from baobab bark. Baobab pulp powder improves immunity, lowers cholesterol, and reduces menstrual pain. Baobab is especially good for the skin - it not only improves its condition, but also nourishes the skin, relieves irritation and inflammatory processes and restores the epidermis in case of burns.
Baobab is a delicacy for elephants. African giants eat them almost entirely, not only the leaves and branches, but also the trunk.
Old baobabs often develop hollows in the trunk. The dimensions of the hollow are sometimes so large that Africans build a garage in it for cars. 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. There are known cases when the hollow (from time to time) trunk of a baobab was used as a prison, a bus stop or a place to sleep. In some countries, enterprising residents set up shops and pubs in this huge African tree.
In the mythology of many African peoples, the baobab personifies life, fertility and appears as the guardian of the earth.
Baobab wood has such a soft and porous structure that when infected with a fungus it collapses extremely quickly and forms huge voids. Meanwhile, this does not affect its existence in any way - a tree that is hollow from the inside is quite capable of existing for many more decades. The indigenous people of Africa have long adapted to use this hole to their advantage: they mainly store grain there, but there are more interesting options.
For example, one cannot help but be surprised by the fact that in Zimbabwe they housed a real bus station in it, capable of accommodating two dozen people; in Limpopo - they set up a bar; in Botswana they planted a plant that in former times was used instead of a prison; and in Senegal poets were buried in them, since it was believed that they were not worthy of being buried in the ground.
Baobab belongs to the genus Adansonia of the Malvaceae family (sometimes it is classified as a member of the Bombaxaceae family, since there are no clear distinctions between these families). This tree is found only in the arid savannas of tropical Africa, in areas covered with herbaceous vegetation with occasional trees and shrubs. And then, only those who have adapted to survive in the dry season (the year in the African savannah consists of two periods - hot, rainy and hot, dry).
The baobab acclimatized to local conditions in a rather unusual way: the moisture and nutrients that it absorbs like a huge sponge are helped by maintaining a wide trunk, often reaching ten meters in diameter (interesting fact: the widest tree described by botanists had the width 54.5 m - and at one time it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records).
It should be noted that with such a thickness, its height is small and ranges from 18 to 25 meters, only 2-3 times greater than its width - such compactness makes it possible for the plant not to die under the burning rays of the sun.
But the water in the tree is retained, not allowing it to evaporate, by the soft outside and strong inside bark, the thickness of which is 10 cm. Also, an important role in preserving moisture is played by the roots of the plant, which, spreading over the surface for more than tens of meters, collect all that is available to them. moisture. An interesting fact is that during the dry period, when the African baobab begins to use up its water supply, the plant decreases slightly in size and does this until the start of the rainy season, after which it begins to increase in volume again.
Monkey Breadfruit
It is during the dry period that the baobab sheds its leaves and begins to resemble a tree with its roots sticking up. Africans are convinced that this happened because the plant angered God when it did not want to live where he intended it to live. He didn’t like it either in the Congo River valley (the baobab tree decided that it was extremely damp for him) or on the slope of the green mountain.
The plant angered the Creator so much that he pulled it out of the ground and stuck it upside down in the middle of the savannah. But the harmful plant liked this area - and it decided to stay here forever, becoming known by descriptions as a tree whose roots grow upward.
Having shed its leaves, the baobab begins to bloom (it does this from October to November) - round buds appear on the bare branches. At night they bloom and look like large, about twenty centimeters, flowers with five white petals curved back and dark red spherical stamens. It is interesting that the flower lives only one night, attracting palm fruit bats and bats with its aroma for pollination. After this, it withers, begins to emit a rotting smell and falls off.
And after a while, the fruits of the baobab appear, oval or round in shape with a thick fluffy skin, containing tasty sour pulp with black seeds (interestingly, baboons really like this pulp, which is why Africans called this plant “monkey breadfruit”).
Life of a tree
It has long been an established fact that baobab has soft, water-saturated wood, and is therefore susceptible to various fungi that corrode it from the inside - which is why the trunks of these trees are often either hollow or hollow.
Baobab is a tenacious plant, and therefore holes are not a reason for death. Although this still contributes to its gradual destruction: the tree begins to slowly settle - and, in the end, turns into a pile of fiber (although this process will take several decades, and even centuries).
The bark of this plant is also amazing; if you tear it off, it will not harm the tree, since pretty soon it will grow back.
An equally interesting fact is that if a baobab is cut down or knocked down by an elephant (these animals really like the juicy fibers of its core, and therefore they are able to completely eat it), and only one root remains from the root system, it will still try to take root and continue to grow, but already lying down.
Scientists could not really determine how long the baobab lives: this tree has no growth rings. Botanists are inclined to believe that this tree can live for about a thousand years. Using radiocarbon dating of one of the plants, it was possible to determine that its age exceeds 4.5 thousand years.
Universal tree
It is interesting that not only baboons and elephants benefit from this tree, but also the Africans who live in them use almost all parts of the tree instead of warehouses and use them in everyday life.
Bark
The bark of this plant is used to make coarse fiber, which is subsequently used to make durable fabric, bags, fishing nets, and ropes. Various medicines are made from the ash, which are used in the treatment of colds, dysentery, fever, asthma, heart disease, and they also relieve toothache and discomfort that occurs after bites of mosquitoes, flies and other insects.
Leaves and shoots
Young shoots are used instead of boiled asparagus, salads are made from green leaves, and spices are made from dry leaves.
Fruit pulp
The pulp of the fruit tastes similar to ginger, so a drink reminiscent of lemonade is prepared from it - for this, the fruit is first dried, then ground into powder and diluted in water. But oil is obtained from the ash of the pulp, which is subsequently used to prepare food.
Seeds
Baobab seeds are eaten both raw and roasted, and from the roasted grains, after crushing, they create a drink reminiscent of coffee.
Other
Flower dust is used to prepare glue; Having dried the hard shell of the fruit, they make glasses from it; and when burning the dried pulp, smoke drives away insects, primarily mosquitoes. Africans also actively use this plant in cosmetology - powder made from the fruits of this tree, they wash their hair, make soap, and women use the red juice that the roots of the plant contain to paint their faces.