Its not often you come across a tree which has everything all at once. ‘Wasn’t that the name of an Oscar winning film? – This one is much more interesting.

They are typically found in dry parts of Africa where they dominate the landscape and reveal the presence of a watercourse. They absorb water and store it. They are not trees as such, but the biggest succulents in the world.

They have traditionally been valued as sources of food, water and health remedies.They are steeped in legend and superstition. Elephants love the bark, you can roast the seed and use it as a coffee substitute, the leaves can be eaten like spinach, the flowers as a relish and it is used to treat various ailments.

No wonder they are also known as the Tree of Life.

The scientific name Adansonia refers to the French explorer and botanist, Michel Adanson (1727–1806), who wrote the first botanical description for the full species.”Digitata” refers to the digits of the hand, as the baobab has compound leaves with normally five ( but up to seven) leaflets. Strolling through Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot Tha I notice it’s amazing pendulous white flowers.

I stop to appreciate it a little more and then on the same tree I see how the flower bud is formed, how it opens, what happens when it dies and the fruit that finally forms with the seeds- they were all there all at once. Flowers open during the late afternoon, staying open and fertile for only one night. The fresh flowers have a sweet scent, but after about 24 hours, they start to turn brown and emit a carrion smell according to Wikipedia.

There are many cultural stories which surround the baobab, the most important being you should never pick a flower off the tree or else you will meet an untimely death. Cultural conservation!

Its a connection to the afterlife and the thought that spirits of ancestors live on in them. Perhaps the most appealing to me is the story that once you die your soul can rest here given their longevity and resilience and you will always be in good company.