Barking Up the Right Tree

Dynamically distinctive

Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash

Do you know the species of deciduous succulents commonly called baobabs:

• Are prehistoric;

• Produce edible fruit;

• Shed leaves annually;

• Absorb and store water;

• Regrow bark when stripped;

• Grow in 32 African countries;

• Produces large white flowers;

• Are native to the African savannah;

• Have a life span of 3,000 to 5,000 years;

• Are drought, fire, and termite resistant;

• Continually grow multiple fused stems;

• Arose in Madagascar 21 million years ago;

• Bear fruit with a natural shelf life of 3 years;

• Are leafless for as many as 9-months out of the year;

• Can reach up to 100 feet tall with a circumference to match;

• Grow thicker with age, and at maturity can be as much as 30-45 feet in diameter;

• Are known as the “Trees of Life” because of their more than 300 documented commercial and medicinal uses; and

• Had starring roles in Lion King (Rafiki’s tree), Avatar (The Tree of Souls), Madagascar, and the children's novel, The Little Prince?

All said, every animal, including human animals, benefit greatly from baobabs, because:

• The roots produce red dye;

• The seeds are roasted for coffee;

• The fruit is made into jam, beer, and juice;

• The bark is dried to make ropes and baskets;

• The bark is pressed into oil for cooking and cosmetics;

• The fruit is one of the most nutrient-dense in the world;

• The leaves are iron-rich and can be boiled and eaten like spinach;

• Its fruit is the only in the world that dries naturally on its branches;

• When dying dehydrate and hallow out, and when dead provide housing for up to 35 adults;

• Are an essential source of water and shelter for bats, birds, lizards, monkeys, and elephants, while living; and

• Use their massive root systems to keep soil conditions humid, aid nutrient recycling, and slow soil erosion.

Flourish like a baobab!