Adansonia digitate

Adansonia digitate originates in the savannahs of Africa. Its thick trunk enables the tree to store rainwater to survive during the continent’s droughts. The trunk reaches an especially wide diameter. Kibbutz Ein Gedi has a specimen with a 3-meter trunk. This is possible when the center of the tree decomposes and the space it leaves behind serves as a reservoir for rainwater. The tree bark is brown-gray, is usually smooth though sometimes grooved and is somewhat reminiscent of the trunk of Quercus suber. The tree’s branches are thick and short, somewhat similarly to the roots. The tree’s complex leaves resemble a hand with five–seven fingers.

A. digitate’s flowers bloom only at night. They are large (20–30 cm) and white. They are short-lived: from dusk to dawn the next day, when they die. A. digitate’s fruit is oval and about the size of a coconut. The fruit tastes sweet, and monkeys particularly enjoy it. This is why the tree is also called the “monkey-bread tree” in Africa. Many kinds of insects and animals live near it, inside it and feed on it in Africa. It is also very popular in folk medicine, having multiple, varied uses. When properly prepared, all parts of the tree are edible. A. digitate’s lifespan is very long; there are some in Africa that are hundreds and thousands of years old. The tree’s roots are extensive, and it is not recommended to plant it near buildings or sewage systems. This is an especially large tree (the largest in the family) that requires a very large space in which to grow. The tree’s shape is sculptural, interesting, eye-catching and attractive.

The tree is well known in literature, too, such as in “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The tree is available at the nursery.