Illustrated Eden


Words: Kate Whiscombe, Julie Kendall and Hannah Esterhuizen Illustrations: Diggy Smerdon


African Baobab | Adansonia digitata


Sometimes referred to as the ‘Upside-Down Tree’ due to its root-like branch structure, the African baobab can reach heights of up to 25 metres in the wild and can live for up to 3,000 years. Named after Michel Adanson, the French botanist who discovered it, Adansonia digitata’s origins have been traced back around 21 million years to Madagascar, home to six of the eight baobab species. Its seeds dispersed from there into the sea and travelled to Africa and Australia, where Adansonia digitata evolved to create two more species. Its white flowers bloom at night. While most baobabs


are bat-pollinated, Adansonia digitata is pollinated by hawkmoths. The resulting fruit and seeds are edible – as are the leaves, which contain vitamins A and C, as well as other minerals – while the powdery coating around the seeds is rich in Vitamins C and B2. Even the bark is reported to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Adanonia digitata is reasonably common, but its Madagascan relatives are all endangered by deforestation for agriculture. KW


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