Names:

  • General: Baobab Tree, Tree of Life, Upside-Down Tree, Monkey Bread Tree.
  • Hausa: Kuka
  • Yoruba: Oshe; Ose  

Description:

The baobab tree is revered in Africa for its traditional, medicinal and nutritional value. Baobab boasts as the oldest known angiosperm (plants that produce flowers and bear their seeds in fruits) tree: carbon-14 dating places the age of a specimen in Namibia at about 1,275 years. It is found throughout the drier regions of Africa and features a water-storing trunk that is very broad and fluted or cylindrical, often with a buttressed, spreading base strongly anchored in the soil by an extensive and strong root system that grows 2 m deep, and may reach a diameter of 9 meters and a height of 25 meters. It bears short, stout and tortuous branches and has a thin canopy, which may make the base look bigger than the higher parts. It has a lifespan of several hundred years and the tree often has a huge hollow trunk that is formed by the fusion of multiple stems over time.

The leaves are palmately compound with 5 to 7 (sometimes up to 9) leaflets in mature trees, borne at the end of a 16 cm-long petiole; but seedlings and regenerating shoots may have simple leaves. The transition to compound leaves comes with age and may be gradual.

The bark is gray and usually smooth, and it can regenerate if damaged. The tree is deciduous, losing their leaves in the dry season, and remaining leafless for about eight months of the year. Flowering occurs in both the dry and the wet season. The pentamerous flowers are white, large (about 20 cm in diameter and 25 cm long), and hang from stalks on pedicels that are about 90 cm long. New leaves appear after flowering.

The fruit is a voluminous (about 35 cm long and 17 cm in diameter) ovoid capsule with a hard woody envelope containing a pulp and black seeds. Once ripe, the fruit envelope becomes brittle and the pulp takes on a chalky consistency. The tree starts producing fruits 8-10 years after planting but consistent production only occurs after 30 years 

Cultivation/Propagation

  • It can be grown from the seeds which are collected from dried fruits by cracking the pod and washing away the dry, powdery coating on the seeds. The seeds are soaked in warm water and left for 24hrs and sown in well-drained soil with a soil cover of 4 to 6mm. seeds take from two to six weeks to germinate. The seedlings are transplanted when they are from 50mm in height.
  • Sprouting is also achieved by fermenting the seeds by pouring the seeds in a jute bag and submerged in water which is replaced daily and allowed to stay for six days.
  • The stem can be used for propagation as cuttings.

Medicinal Benefits

  • It is rich in bioactive compounds, like phenols, flavonoids, proanthocyanins, tannins, catechins, carotenoids; and important vitamins and micronutrients like vitamin C, A, B6, E, D3; zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, and protein.
  • It boosts the immune system, prevents oxidative stress-related diseases, aids fertility, enhances the body’s metabolic system of transforming food into energy, stabilizes nerves, and promotes red blood cell production.
  • The several minerals and vitamins content support rejuvenation and cell renewal of skin cells; provides anti-oxidant and anti-aging effect on the skin; and it is used for the used to treatment of eczema and psoriasis.
  • It has hydration, antipyretic, antiparasitic, antiviral, antibiotic, antitussive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-diabetic, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial and sudorific properties
  • Regulate digestive system, supports gut health, cleanses the liver, promotes weight loss, relieves nausea, relieves diarrhea and dysentery
  • Used for the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, fever, microbial infections, diarrhoea, anaemia, dysentery, toothache, etc.
  • The root, bark and leave extracts (methanolic extracts) have shown high antiviral and antimicrobial activity.
  • The vitamin content increases calcium absorption which decreases blood pressure and supports bone health. 
  • It supports the management of stress, mood swings and insomnia.

Other Benefits:

  • Some cultures worship baobab as a symbol of fertility.
  • Honey bees often utilize hollows in the baobab to make their hives.
  • The seeds can be roasted for use as snacks and substitute for coffee.
  • The leaves, fruits, seeds and the oil meal are used as forage for ruminants.
  • The bark is used for making paper, ropes, cordage, cloths; tannin for curing leather.
  • The roots are used as a source of red dye (soluble), while the green bark is also used for skin decorations.
  • Burning baobab fruit pulp produces an acrid smoke used to deter insects troublesome to humans and livestock.
  • The baobab tree provides a source of income through the sale of its fruit, leaves, and oil, promoting economic sustainability.
  • Baobab is traditionally as sources of food (as the fruits, flowers, leaves, shoots, roots of seedlings and even the tree roots are edible), water, health remedies or places of shelter.
  • The center of the tree can be purposely hollowed out to serve as reservoir for rain water which collects in the clefts of large branches during the rainy season. One such reservoir was recorded as holding 4,546 liters of water. Water can also be extracted from large trunks and serve as source of water.
  • Large baobab trees with hollow stems have served various purposes including houses, prisons, pubs, storage barns, and even as bus stops! A baobab tree near Leydsdorp was used as a bar (known as the Murchison Club). The trees help in soil conservation and provide shade and shelter for various wildlife species, contributing to biodiversity.

How it is used:

  • It is taken as
    • Fresh fruit pulp.
    • Oil extracted from seeds.
    • Powdered fruit pulp or leaves.
    • Tea made from leaves or bark.
    • Topical creams or ointments for skin issues
  • The powdered seeds are used for the following:
    • Treatment of coughs, diarrhea, and fevers.
  • The pulp of the fruit is steeped in water and taken as juice for the following:
    • Treatment of fevers, dysentery and diarrhea.
    • Management of stress, anxiety, mood swings and for boosting of energy,
  • The decoction of the leaves is used for the following:
    • Boosting the immune system.
    • Treatment of toothache, oral infections and gingivitis.
    • Used as a diaphoretic, treatment of kidney and bladder diseases.
    • Treatment of diseases of the urinary tract, ear (otitis), as a tonic and for insect bites and Guinea worms
    • Treating malaria, diarrhoea, fevers, inflammation, kidney and bladder diseases, blood clearing, asthma, and microbial infections.
  • The oil extracted from the seeds is used for the following:
    • Treatment of diarrhoea and hiccough.
    • Alleviation of pain from burns; regeneration of epithelial tissues, thereby improving skin tone and elasticity. It is also used for the preparation of skin health products to aid anti-aging, skin healing (small cuts, chapping) or as a mask for hair care (dry, brittle hair, split ends); and aids in the healing process of dermatoses, sunburns and Acne vulgaris.
  • The young leaves are crushed and used to treat painful swellings.
  • The seeds are pulverized to extract edible oil and the byproduct (oil meal) can be used as animal feed.
  • The bark is used as substitute for quinine and the decoction is used for treating fevers, wounds, anaemia, and malaria.
  • Paste made from the fruit is used topically for the treatment of swellings due to arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
  • The ash that results from burning the woody calyxes, fruit pods and pedicels are used as potash for cooking and in soap making.
  • The young leaves can be eaten raw, or used in the preparation of a soup called miyan kuka in Nigeria, or dried and powdered for subsequent use in soups.
  • The pulp of the fruit can be used as a thickener in the preparation of different kinds of beverages including smoothies, juice, jams, and ice-cream, while the fruit can also be used as a curdling agent.

Reported Side Effects/Caution:

  • There are currently no well-documented side effects related to the consumption or use of baobab however:
    • Some individuals may have allergic reactions to baobab products, especially if they have a history of allergies to other plants or foods.
    • Excessive consumption of the fruit or supplements may lead to digestive issues such as bloating, gas, or diarrhea due to its high fiber content.
    • If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, being treated for a medical condition or taking medication, check with your doctor before incorporating baobab powder into your diet.

References: