The tree that doesn’t die

Baobabs are very difficult to kill, they can be burnt, or stripped of their bark, and they will just form new bark and carry on growing. When they do die, they simply rot from the inside and suddenly collapse, leaving a heap of fibres, which makes many people think that they don't die at all, but simply disappear! A Baby Baobab tree looks very different from its adult form and this is why the Bushmen believe that it doesn't grow like other trees, but suddenly crashes to the ground with a thump, fully grown, and then one day simply disappears. No wonder they are thought of as magic trees! 

Continue reading....

Find more interesting articles below

Baobabs in Cornwall: the Eden Project

Baobabs in Cornwall: the Eden Project

Who would have thought there would be a whole week devoted to the Baobab tree in Cornwall, England? But it’s true! The Eden Project, a wonderful organisation devoted to supporting transformative social and environmental enterprises is hosting a Harvest Festival in Cornwall. http://www.edenproject.com/visit-us/whats-on/other-activities/harvest-food-festival-in-cornwall “Baobab Week” is from the 8th – 13th October. They even have […]

Read more
Measuring Baobab girth

Measuring Baobab girth

It feels a bit like when you mark off the height of your children on the doorpost, but every year in May Diana Mayne, a baobab colleague, and I visit Skelmwater Baobab research plot to do annual growth measurements. This research plot was started in 1931 to measure the annual diameter growth of baobabs. This year was […]

Read more
The Mysterious Life of Baobab Flowers

The Mysterious Life of Baobab Flowers

How are baobab flowers pollinated? It’s still a subject for considerable research and Nisa Karimi has been studying baobab flower pollination in the Limpopo area.

Read more