The baobab tree grows into a huge tree with a very thick trunk and a great root system-like canopy at the top. All that growth at the top gives the tree its nickname – the upside down tree.
It very much looks like a tree that’s been up uprooted and planted upside down. This is especially true in the dry season when the tree has lost its leaves.
The thick trunk of the tree is a massive water storage tank. The tree can survive a long drought thanks to the water resources it keeps in its trunk.
The African variety of the tree grows in Kruger National Park in the central and northern regions.
In fact, the southernmost naturally occurring tree in Africa is in Kruger Park. You can go and see the tree which is 25km (15.5 miles) south of Satara Rest Camp. The tree is well sign-posted and marked on maps, so you won’t miss it.
| Quick facts | |
| Latin name | Adansonia digitata |
| Famous for | Its root-like canopy and storing water in its trunk |
| Height | 5-30m (16-98ft) |
| Trunk diameter | 7-11m (23-36ft) |
| Water storage capacity | Up to 120,000 litres (32,000 US gallons) |
| Flowers | Sweet-scented and white, flowering from October to December |
Did you know that the flowers are fertilised by bats at night. The flowers then turn into a large fruit with seed pods inside them.
Because the trees have such safe and secure looking canopies and make for good lookouts, lots of small animals and birds call them home. The trees can also have hollow trunks and animals shelter inside them!
When you spot one of these trees in Kruger National Park be sure to keep an eye out for all the wildlife it attracts. Grazing animals, such as buck, like to eat the tree’s flowers once they have fallen to the ground. They’re a tasty snack!