Plants & Trees in the African Savanna

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      The African savanna is a tropical grassland spread over nearly half of the continent and spanning a large number of countries including Somalia, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Angola. The area has a wet-dry tropical climate; its dry season is from October to March and its wet season lasts from May to November. The African grassland is defined as a thornbush savanna and a large number of plants and trees are native to the area.

    Baobab Tree

    • Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is native to the African savannas. The long-lived tree grows to a mature height of up to 82 feet and remains leafless for nine months every year. During the wet months. the tree stores water in its corky, thick, fire-resistant trunk in preparation for the upcoming dry season. All the tree parts, including the trunk and bark, are used by the native population. The bark is used for making cloth and rope and the foliage is an important ingredient in traditional medicine. The fruit is referred to as monkey bread.

    Elephant Grass

    • Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a tall-growing grass in the African savanna also referred to as napier grass and Uganda grass. It grows in thick clumps up to 10 feet tall and commonly is found along the rich soil on river and lake banks. The grass is used as fodder for cattle. The coarse and hairy elephant grass is yellow or purple in color with razor-sharp edges. It is home to a number of bird species. Elephant grass blooms with tawny- or purple-tufted plumes and spreads with rhizomes. The grass is invasive and has no tolerance for low temperatures.

    Candelabra Tree

    • Candelabra tree (Euphorbia ingens) is a native tree of the African savanna and East Indies. It grows to a mature height of 30 to 40 feet with all the branches growing out from a single trunk. The candelabra tree blooms with small yellow flowers in the middle of winter. The tree is poisonous and blisters can result from coming in contact with its white sap. There is also a sticky, poisonous latex on the sharp spines of the tree that keep the animals from feeding on it. Given all these deterrent properties, the candelabra tree often is used as living fence.

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