Not just a highly nutrititious food, with some imagination, skill and flair look at these amazingly creative decor ideas with Baobab pods! find them here, here and here.
Mandela: an icon of Africa for the world
Madiba's unmistakable stature as statesman, leader and human being made him visible in a way that made it possible for all to see. May his moral example be as long lived as the Baobab tree, may the memory of his wisdom serve, and be the same shade under which people have gathered in community for generations to draw inspiration for the way forward. RIP.
Tis Flowering Season!
Tis the season to be flowering and what jolly big flowers they are too! The flowers are the size of a saucer, measuring up to 15cm across. They have delicate white waxy petals which pull up like a lady's skirt when curtseying for the queen! They open as the sun sets and within 20 minutes are fully dilated, so you can literally watch […] Continue Reading
Where did that baobab come from?
There are 8 different species of Baobab trees 6 of which are native to Madagascar, one in Africa and one in Australia. There’s a lot of controversy about where the Baobab tree originated as it’s often been assumed that Madagascar is the centre of origin because it has the most different species. This implies that Adansonia digitata migrated from Madagascar […] Continue Reading
What's in a name: Adansonia digitata
The latin name, Adansonia digitata, was given to the baobab by Carl Linneaus. He named the baobab after the a French naturalist Michel Adanson. Adanson was posted to Senegal in 1749 to research the natural resources of the area. He was blown away by his first sight of a baobab describing it as "a forest in itself”. This description of […] Continue Reading
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 a baobab tree in their […] Continue Reading
The real truth about water in baobab trees
There’s a bit of a myth out there that you can tap water out of a baobab which is illustrated by this delightful cartoon. The truth is that a freshly felled baobab trunk weighs about 850kg per cubic meter. Once dried out, it weighs 200kg per cubic meter. This means that baobabs are able to store 650 litres of […] Continue Reading
Look honey! I shrunk the baobab tree!
I have never quite understood the appeal of bonsai, so I decided to see for myself what it was all about. I visited Lampies Schoeman who has about 100 trees, surely one of the largest collection of baobab bonsai in the world! He has grown and created most of his bonsai himself over the last 10 years. I always thought […] Continue Reading
Living in a baobab tree
Here are some pictures we found of how people have used the hollow spaces within a baobab tree as living spaces – there's a bar and another has even been fitted out as a toilet! One ancient hollow Baobab tree in Zimbabwe is so large that up to 40 people can shelter inside its trunk. Various Baobabs have been used […] Continue Reading
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 […] Continue Reading