baobab

The tree of God - the largest tree in Africa and one of the most famous trees in the world

Perhaps the most famous among African trees and one of the most famous and largest in the world. Many crowns and names have been associated with it: the tree of God, an ancient tree that hurt the gods, the tree that stands upside down, the monkey bread tree, names that illustrate its special shape on the one hand and its importance on the other.

His popular name in East Africa is Mbuyu. The name Baobab is a twist on the name given to it by Egyptian merchants in the 16th century - Bo-Hobab. The merchants who brought exotic products from Africa were impressed by the special wood even though it was of no use to them. The one who gave it a lot of publicity was undoubtedly Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, when he described it as a noxious weed that must be destroyed while still in Ivo lest it grow and suffocate the star of the little prince. The prince had a difficult problem because the baobab sprouts are difficult to identify because of a different appearance from the mature tree - young ones have simple leaves while mature ones have compound leaves reminiscent of the shape of a palm and five fingers, which gave it its scientific name Adansonia digitata. Edansonia - after the botanist Edson who first defined Vadigita because of the shape of the fingers.

The same problem that the little prince had probably the San people - Bushmen - in South Africa also have because they do not know the young trees and therefore believe that the trees fall to the ground - at night when they are full size "Whoever puts his ear to the ground at night will be able to hear the sound of the falling trees" - like the sound of falling trees thunder

Indeed, many of the known trees are large and mature and it is very difficult to find young trees, perhaps because of changing climatic conditions that do not allow the germination of young trees. Its impressive appearance and its many uses have made it one of the most important and valued trees among the people of Africa. Six different species grow in Madagascar, one in Australia, one is common in Africa in high altitude areas of 700 meters where more than 400 mm of rain per year. Although its height does not reach more than 25 meters, a common trunk circumference of more than ten meters, large trees are known to have a trunk circumference of over thirty meters, and an extreme age of hundreds of years makes the baobab one of the largest and oldest trees in the world.

The baobab is one of the only trees in Africa that sheds its top in dry seasons. After the rains, huge white flowers and large fruits grow on it. All of these are a source of food and shelter for many animals: bees build hives in their trunks, bats suck nectar from the flowers and on this occasion pollinate them, many leaf eaters: antelopes, zebras, giraffes, and others enjoy the foliage, birds find shelter and insects in the tree for food, monkeys - mainly goons And beavers collect insects, young leaves, fruits and flowers, twigs and bran collect from the ground the flowers that have fallen and the largest of all - elephants eat from the green vegetation, fruits and also scrape the bark of the trunk which contains many minerals and is a source of fluids in places where a line in the form of peeling the trees by elephants causes mortality Trees, but under normal conditions, the baobab is able to provide everyone with what they want and continue to live, since the tree is able to lose fluids up to 60% of its weight and recover this loss within a few weeks during the rainy season, a feature that is why some call the tree "the largest succulent in the world."

Many beliefs are attributed to the royal tree. The San people - believe that the baobab is the origin of all animals on earth.

After God gave birth from the baobab to the animals of the land, he also brought out of it the "real people" they are the San (Bushmen) and only later the rest of the people in Sudan. In East Africa it is "known" that at night spirits roam among its branches, it is also known "that whoever picks its flowers risks being predated by lions".

In West Africa it is "dangerous" to eat the seeds as they attract crocodiles. On the other hand, in East Africa, drinking the seeds in water "protects" against crocodiles. Zambian women must not eat the seeds while making beer, as the beer will spoil. Many tribes call the tree the "fertility tree" and barren women are sent to sit in its shade during the rainy season because then the god of rain resides in the tree. And again the San say that God divided the plants into the responsibilities of the animals and the baobab can be given to the hyena who was last in line, the hyena was not satisfied and therefore planted the tree upside down anyone who sees the impressive tree at the end of the rainy season when it is all green and blooming in white will understand the inspiration for the development of different beliefs.

But not only beliefs, in addition to being a source of life for wild animals, the tree has many and varied uses for humans. In traditional medicine, the leaves (which contain tannin) are used to treat fever and diarrhea. ). The seeds contain an alkaloid called adenosinin, used as an antidote to poisoning caused by a poison that is used to smear hunting arrows to heal those who have been hit by an arrow or to prepare meat that has been hunted with the poison strophathin, a poison extracted from vegetable resin and used by the San. The "kosher" is done by washing the arrow wound with the seeds or the peel. The dried fruit is drained and used as a container for liquids as well as as floats for fishing nets. Burning the inside of the fruit (which has a spongy structure) produces a pungent smelling smoke that is used to keep flies away from cattle. Other common uses in the areas where the baobab is distributed: the leaves are used to speed up fermentation in the home industry of wine. The boiled roots produce a red dye for dyeing fabrics and the body of the trunk - after flattening and soaking it serves as a source for: Fibers for fishing nets, material for weaving fabrics for clothing, strings for musical instruments, and traps for hunting wild animals. In the past, there was an intention to use the fibers for the paper industry, an intention that was canceled due to the fear that such a creature would destroy the trees. The nutritional value of the baobab is also great for people.

The fruit and seeds contain a high percentage of vitamin C, the gruel produced from the fruit is called by the residents of South Africa "cream-of-tartar" and in the Afrikaners language the tree is called that, and indeed an examination revealed that the fruit, in addition to a high percentage of citric acid, contains tartaric acid and potassium, which are important food additives . During the Second World War, the fruit was used as a substitute for grain flour for baking bread. By mixing the ground fruit with water, you get a sour, refreshing and healthy drink. The seeds also contain different proteins, mainly globulin as well as amylan and fats, so after grinding you can store the "flour" that is used to cook soup or, after roasting, as a substitute for coffee.

The fresh leaves are eaten green (spinach flavor) as a salad or used to make a delicious sauce. Flower buds and leaves are considered a delicacy in times of scarcity. The ends of the roots can be cooked into a kind of gruel - a little bitter but nutritious. The liquid squeezed from the stem is used to dilute milk, to drink for babies. Ash from burning branches is an excellent substitute for salt.

As a large tree with a lifespan of hundreds of years, large spaces are created in Baobab. Many animals find hiding in such spaces in places where there are people, these spaces make great use of them. The San people know that in these spaces rainwater collects, at the end of the rainy season they seal. A narrow hole is drilled in the large openings and at the bottom of the trunk, the hole is plugged and thus there is a "water tap" for the convenience of thirst. Spaces where water is not collected are used as "emergency" warehouses for food or other supplies. In the Tarangira Nature Reserve (Tanzania) a large cavity in a tree on a hill was used as a hiding place and as an observation point for poachers. In the Transvaal in the Daraf, a hollow in a tree was already used for drinks and was famous as Murchison's Bar. In World War II, a toilet was installed inside a baobab tree that stood in Katima-Malilo in the Caprivi Strip - Namibia. The wooden toilets are still "admiring" today. In Kasana - Botswana - you can still see a tree in the square in front of the local police station whose space was used as a detention "room". Indeed many different and diverse uses for one of the largest, most special and impressive trees in the entire world.

A tree that deserves all the crowns and titles, a mighty tree that should be seen for those who find the trip to Africa difficult and yet want to see, get to know, smell and touch, will visit Kibbutz Ein-Gadi, because of the special climate in the Dead Sea and because of the fact that the trees in the Kibbutz are constantly watered, the baobab trees in Ein-Gadi are green all the time This year, you can admire the grandeur, size, beauty, etc., etc., etc. of the baobab trees.