Top 5 Rare Trees You Will Find In Southern Africa

Everyone knows that there is something magical in the nature in Africae. There are plenty of National park with filled with wildlife and beautiful landscapes. But did you ever take into account the trees of Africa? The following rare trees can all be found while on a budget African safari, adventure tour or an overland safari. The next time you are searching for the big five, make sure you don’t forget about the 5 rarest trees in Southern Africa.

1. BOABAB TREE

The baobab tree is also known as the ‘upside-down tree’. The tree is identified by their large swollen smooth and shiny trunk and branches. The leaves are hand-sized and divided into 5-finger leaflets. The tree can grow to a height of 5 to 20 meters and can live for 3000 years. Historically, Baobab trees have been used as shops, a prison, a house, a storage barn and even as a bus shelter. The fruit they attend are velvety brown mini-mangos which the animals and people values highly.

BOABAB TREE

2. MARULA TREE

The Marula tree can grow to a height of 7-18 meters and can be recognized by its trunk. It has circular dents all over as if it has had tennis balls flung at it. The creamy South African liqueur, aptly names Amarula, is made from the fruit of this tree. This fruit turns from green into yellow when it ripens and falls to the ground. The fruit consists of even more vitamin C than an orange.

MARULA TREE

3. FEVER TREE

The Vachellia xanthophloea is known in English as the fever tree. This is because of its sickly green colour. Even the bark is smooth, powdery and fever green. White spines grow from the branch nodes in pairs. The leaves are eaten by elephants, giraffes and vervet monkeys. The flowers of the fever tree are a favoured by bees and the tree provides good nesting sites for birds. This tree can grow to a height of 15-25 meters, growing fast and short lived.

MARULA TREE

4. QUIVER TREE

The Quiver tree is originally from Namibia and can grow up to 9 meters. The tree protects itself from the heat and harsh sun with a white powder that reflects heat. The branches grow straight up and the leaves of the quiver tree are very thick. This is important for survival when they are dealing with long dry periods.this tree is able to drop branches and seal its stumps in order to survive.

QUIVER TREE

5. SAUSAGE TREE

The name of this tree comes from the funny fact that it truly looks like there are sausages growing from it. The sausages can get up to 100cm and 10kg. As the ‘sausage’ falls to the ground, the Impala, duiker, baboons, bush pigs, and lovebirds all feed themselves from it, this can be seen in Kruger National Park. This tree is growing up to 20 meters with a grey and smooth bark.

SAUSAGE TREE

So next time you go on a safari or road trip through Southern Africa , make sure not to forget about these amazing trees. Take a look below for some of our tours where you can find both wildlife and amazing fauna and flora.

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