Baobabs - Blog Posts

The baobab is known as the thickest tree in the world, with its trunk reaching up to 9 meters in diameter, and the largest one recorded had a circumference of 54 meters. Its upper trunk smooths out into thick branches, forming a crown up to 40 meters in diameter.

– There are nine species of baobab in nature: six of which are found on Madagascar, two on the African continent, and one in Australia.

– The baobab can absorb and store a significant amount of water, with an average tree holding up to 4,500 liters. Elephants love this and eat the baobab’s bark during the dry season.

– Baobabs are incredibly long-lived, with some trees reaching up to 3,000 years old.

– Because the baobab’s trunk has very few growth rings, radiocarbon dating is needed to determine its exact age.

– The wood of the baobab is soft, spongy, and fibrous, used in the making of cloth and rope but unsuitable for traditional woodworking such as furniture making.

– The baobab plays a crucial role in local diets: its leaves taste like spinach, its fruit contains six times the vitamin C of an orange, and its seeds can be processed into oil

https://lifeontheplanetladakh.com/blog/baobab-tree-majestic-lifesaver-africa