Baobab Tree – 5 Seeds

The Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata) is a big deciduous tree that can grow up to 25m in height, with a lifespan of several hundred years. In South Africa it is found mainly in Limpopo, as it prefers hot dry weather, stony well drained soils and frost-free areas that receive low rainfall. It may also be cultivated in areas of higher rainfall, provided that the area is frost free and don’t experience cold winters.

The massive, usually squat cylindrical trunk gives rise to thick tapering branches resembling a root-system, which is why it has often been referred to as the upside-down tree. The leaves are divided into 5-7 finger-like leaflets. The large, pendulous flowers are white and sweetly scented. They emerge in the late afternoon and fall within 24 hours, turning brown. Pollination by fruit bats takes place at night. The fruit is a large and oval-shaped, covered with a yellowish brown hairs. The fruit consists of a hard, woody outer shell with a dry, powdery substance inside that covers the hard, kidney-shaped seeds.

Common names: baobab, Cream of Tartar tree, monkey-bread tree, lemonade tree (Eng.); kremetartboom(Afr.); isimuku, umShimulu, isiMuhu (Zulu); ximuwu (Tsonga); mowana (Tswana); muvhuyu (Venda)

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Baobab Tree Culinary Uses

• The leaves are cooked fresh as a vegetable or dried and crushed for later use.
• The seeds are also edible and can also be roasted for use as a coffee substitute.
• The dry, powdery substance inside the fruit is often soaked in water to make a refreshing drink.

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Baobab Tree Medicinal Uses

• Diarrhea, dysentery, and other conditions: The pulp and seeds of the baobab tree are used to treat these conditions.
• Kidney and bladder ailments: The leaves are used to treat kidney and bladder ailments.
• Asthma: The leaves are used to treat asthma.
• Insect bites: The leaves are used to treat insect bites.

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Growing Baobab Tree

Indoor Sowing: Spring and Summer.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Summer.

• Soak the seeds in water for 24 hrs.
• Sow the seeds in a well-drained seedling mixture containing one-third sand.
• Cover the seed with sand to a depth of 4-6 mm.
• Place the trays in a warm semi-shaded position and water regularly until the seeds have all germinated.
• Transplant the seedlings once they are 50 mm high into individual containers, in a sandy soil with some well-rotted compost and bone meal.
• When they are young, the stems are thin and inconspicuous, and their leaves are simple and not divided into the five to seven lobes.
• Saplings can be grown in containers for many years and should be moved into a warm greenhouse or indoors if frost is expected, as the trees cannot withstand any frost.