Interesting baobab tree roots

On my field trip a few weeks back we went into northern Venda which was very badly struck by the recent floods. Many roads were washed away and people's houses damaged. I came across this uprooted baobab. It was in a sandy area so when the floods washed around its roots it just toppled over! Notice the masses of adventitious tree roots extending horizontally out from the main tuber. Baobabs have a shallow and very wide spreading root system so that they can immediately take up the first rains of the season. Unfortunately, this one got taken out instead!

Dr Sarah Venter

Continue reading....

Find more interesting articles below

BAOBAB – TREES OF GENERATIONS

BAOBAB – TREES OF GENERATIONS

Photographic artist Elaine Ling http://buff.ly/14RLYG2 says of her pictures of Baobab trees in Africa: "These miraculous giants are one of the largest living things on the planet and have a potential lifespan of more than a thousand years. They are great friends to their human neighbours—providing an ever-renewing source of textiles, netting, baskets and roofing. Their nutritious […]

Read more
Baobabs & Bicycles

Baobabs & Bicycles

For all you cycling fans out there, if you’re in Louis Trichardt this weekend, do stop by and check out the Kremetart Cycle Tour – so named because the route goes past a significant number of Baobab Trees on the way.   It’s fun for the whole family (there are kiddies races, stage races and mountain […]

Read more
Congratulations to our winners!

Congratulations to our winners!

Wow! It’s been tough choosing winners, people! So many great comments – so first of all a big THANK YOU to all of you for participating. It’s been wonderful to hear from each and every one of you and we’re grateful for your input. It gives us a very good idea of the kind of skin […]

Read more