BAOBAB TREES
BAOBAB TREES
The Trees of Life.
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
In the midst of
subtropical India, there exists a small group of Baobab trees that are far away
from their original habitat. Mandu, a town located in the Dhar district of
Madhya Pradesh, India, is home to a unique wonder known as Mandu ki Imli, also
called the Baobab Tree.
The baobab is a grand, gorgeous tree which grows to a
monumental size of up to 50 metres in width, often hollowing out after it
reaches maturity. The texture and size of the trunk has given it the epithet
Hatiyan Ka Jhad or elephant-sized tree in Hyderabad. Until April 2017, a baobab in Limpopo in South
Africa was famous for the pub housed
inside it.
Baobab trees grow in 32 African countries and are prolific
in the Sahel. Drought-resistant, they thrive in even the most degraded
land, sequestering carbon and fighting desertification caused by water and soil
erosion.
Baobab trees are among the most unique trees that grow in
Africa. According to an estimate, these trees are among the oldest trees on
earth. In the savanna (Africa) the climate is very dry. Where other trees grow
with difficulty. The baobab tree thrives there.
During the rainy season, the baobab tree absorbs and stores
water in its broad trunk. A full tree can store thousands of Liters of water
within itself. The water stored in its trunk is so much that the tree can
survive for years thanks to this water. Can survive even in drought.
The baobab tree can grow up to 30 meters tall. And it can
live up to five thousand years. Baobab trees can provide shelter, food and
water for animals and humans, which is why many savannah communities have built
their homes, near the baobab trees. And this tree is considered the tree of
life.
The fruits of this tree are also exceptionally rich in
nutrients and antioxidants.
The baobab fruit is the only fruit in the world that dries
naturally on its branch. Instead of falling off and spoiling, it stays on the
branch and ripens in the sun for 6 months - the pulp of the fruit dries
completely.
Its green velvety coating transforms into a hard
coconut-like shell. 100% pure fruit in its natural form. Amazingly, the fruit
has a natural shelf life of 3 years. It has been used for years to treat
fatigue, digestion, protection against disease, and infection, as well as
beautify the skin.
Ropes are made from the bark of this tree. While its leaves
are eagerly eaten by cattle. And the clear water in its stem can be drunk.
While the oil made from its fruit seeds is used in cosmetics. The value of
which is very high in the market.
Baobab trees grow in some of the driest, remotest, and
poorest parts of rural Africa. According to a report by National Geographic,
demand for this tree is increasing due to its unique characteristics.
The deciduous baobab produces no rings in the trunk as it
ages, so instead, carbon dating is the way to determine the age of a mature
tree. Along with the largest tree trunk girth, the spongy texture of the
baobab’s trunk also ensures water retention, increasing chances of survival in
its natural habitat in sub-Saharan Africa. Desert tribes in Africa have been
known to quench their thirst by tapping this tree, estimated to hold up to
10,000 litres of water. In arid areas, the baobab provides life-giving succour
to both animals and humans. Its striking flowers, which bloom by night, have a
slightly malodorous scent which attracts fruit bats – the chief pollinators of
the flower.
We can plant BAOBABS in all our semi-arid land, mainly in
RAJASTHAN, and GUJARAT, GAINFULLY.
Ecologically,
the baobab tree can withstand drought more easily than many annual crops. It
has no significant pests or diseases and it does not require water or
fertiliser.
IMAGE : 2,000-year-old the baobab tree in South Africa.
References:-
3.0 https://baobabfoundation.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/THE-LITTLE-BIG-BAOBAB-BOOK.pdf
4.0 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420309136
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