Indoor flower monkey tree. Living tree (fat tree): medicinal properties, harm and contraindications

Plant monkey tree, monkey riddle or just araucaria - very beautiful and unusual. This is the oldest representative coniferous trees, which can be found on the rocks of South America, in Australia or in New Zealand. The monkey tree belongs to the Araucaria family. Giant trees predominate in the natural environment, but miniature specimens are commonly used in cultivation. In the photo, the monkey tree resembles a small Christmas tree that can be decorated on New Year. It also looks charming in the room throughout the year.

plant description

Monkey tree as a houseplant can reach a height of 1.5 m, although in nature there are specimens up to 50 m high. It has a developed, deep root system. Annual growth in the most favorable conditions does not exceed 10-15 cm.

Young shoots, including the stem, are covered with bright green bark. As the branches age, they become woody and turn brown. Lateral processes are located horizontally or have a drooping shape. Branches form tiers from the very base of the stem. Gradually, the plant sheds the lower shoots and the trunk becomes bare. The branches themselves, covered with short hard needles, are cylindrical in shape and resemble the tail of an animal. This similarity is especially noticeable in adult massive plants. Therefore, another name for the tree is monkey tails.

The needles resemble hard sessile leaves. Narrow triangular or oblong spines are painted in light green with a bluish tinge. On closer inspection, you can see that the needles are arranged in a spiral. They sit very firmly on the branches and fall only with them. The needles evaporate essential oils and phytoncides. They improve the composition of the air, and also help fight harmful microorganisms.

Most monkey trees are dioecious. Their flowering occurs after full maturation, by about 40-50 years. On male lower plants, elongated flowers with many anthers bloom. Their length can reach 20-25 cm. Large oblong cones, covered with green skin, ripen on female trees. The diameter of the cones is about 35 cm. They contain edible nuts similar to pine nuts.

Popular types

In nature, there are about 20 species of monkey trees, but in indoor cultivation only single, most compact specimens are used.

An unpretentious plant with a height of only 50-65 cm. On an upright, also covered with needles trunk, horizontal long branches are located. All vegetation is bright green. On each branch there are several more gradually shortening lateral processes. On a young tree, the shoots are densely dotted with needle-like bright green needles. Their length is 1-2 cm, and their width is 1 mm. Over the years, the needles become triangular, similar to adjacent green scales. The scales are 8-10 mm long and 2-4 mm wide.

Brazilian monkey tree (Araucaria angustifolia). A taller plant that can also be grown at home. Its height can reach 3-4 m. It grows in the south of Brazil. At the top of a long stem are several whorled branches. By appearance the tree resembles a palm tree. The entire crown is grouped at the top in the form of an umbrella. Lanceolate dark green scales end in a sharp spike. The length of the needles is 3-6 cm, with a width of 5 mm. On fertile branches, the needles are much denser. Trees are dioecious, leathery cones in diameter reach 20 cm.

The plant is a tall (up to 60 m), upright tree. This alpine monkey tree is cold-adapted and can withstand short frosts down to -20°C. The bark of even an adult plant casts in green. The surface of the stem is covered with many scars left from fallen branches. Coniferous scales in the form of a concave triangle 3-4 cm long and 1-3 cm wide are distributed in a spiral. Each leaf can be on a branch for up to 15 years.

Today it is increasingly found in culture. These small potted Christmas trees are very popular. The homeland of this species is New Guinea, where it can grow up to 90 m in height. The top of an even trunk is dotted with whorls of branches. Coniferous scales or small needles are 6-12 cm long and 1.5-2 cm wide. They have a wider base and a pointed edge. Monoecious plants bear male flowers on thinner branches, and oval cones up to 25 cm in diameter are located on thickened shoots.

Reproduction methods

The monkey tree is propagated by sowing seeds or rooting cuttings. Seeds should be sown in the first 2 months after harvest or they will lose their viability. Planting is carried out in small individual pots, 1-2 seeds each. Use sandy-peat or sandy-leaf soil with the addition of charcoal. The seeds are deepened into moist soil by 2-3 cm. The pot is kept at a temperature of about +20 ° C and the ground is periodically sprayed. Shoots appear in 2-8 weeks. The seedling is grown without picking and transplanting in the same pot until the rhizome fills all the free space.

For cuttings in March or April, the apical, semi-lignified shoots are cut off. The cut is made slightly below the whorl. The released resin is removed from the bark, and the cut is dipped in crushed charcoal. After processing with rootstock, the cutting is planted in a small pot with sandy-peat soil. The seedling is covered with a transparent cap and kept at a temperature of +25 ° C. The rooting process usually takes about two months.

Transplant rules

It is not recommended to transplant too often. Until the roots have filled all the free space in the pot, the tree will develop perfectly without outside interference. Before transplanting a monkey tree, it is necessary to dry the soil a little. The procedure is planned for early spring. Prepare a wide pot with holes in the bottom. First, shards or brick chips are poured out.

The soil for planting should include the following components:

• sand;
• sod land;
• peat;
• leaf land;
• charcoal.

It is important to be extremely careful with the rhizome and use the method of transshipment of an earthen coma. The old soil should be preserved as much as possible.

Growing Features

Caring for a monkey tree at home is not too difficult, it refers to undemanding plants. You should choose a bright place that is illuminated by the sun for a long time. Direct sunlight on the branches is undesirable. In summer, it is recommended to take the pots outside, in a place protected from wind and precipitation. In order for the crown to develop evenly, you need to turn the tree 90 ° daily. The monkey tree does not like the heat. The optimum air temperature is +20 °C. In winter, the temperature should be +10…+15 °C.

Araucaria should be watered abundantly and often throughout the year. In no case should the earth dry out completely, but also from excess water must be disposed of immediately. The monkey tree does not need too high humidity, but periodic spraying is welcome.

In spring and summer, a very weak solution of organic or mineral fertilizers can be applied monthly. It is important to ensure that the level of calcium in them is minimal.

Araucaria is unusual exotic plant, very similar to the well-known representatives of our forests - spruce and pine. In the people, it also has the name monkey tree. According to florists, this coniferous culture is quite unpretentious and feels good in room conditions next to a person. From this material you will learn how to care for araucaria at home so that this elegant beauty can become a unique decoration for your home.

Characteristics and types of araucaria

Araucaria belongs to coniferous trees and in natural conditions grows up to 50 m in height. Its majesty can be seen in numerous photos on the Internet or wildlife magazines. In room conditions, a monkey tree in a few years can reach 1.5 m (average annual growth is 15-20 cm). The Araucariaceae family includes 19 species, but not all of them are suitable for home growing, so you need to purchase compact copies. Here are the most popular types:

• Chilean;
• Brazilian angustifolia;
• Hunstein;
• Bidwill.

But the most unpretentious and miniature is Heterophylla araucaria (variegated). She is perfect for small spaces with low ceilings. It is possible to form a bonsai tree from this variety, but for this it will have to be cut and pinched regularly. You will also need to transplant once a year with the roots shortened by half. In this case, you need to use a low ceramic container filled with soil with a lot of sand. This will help slow down the growth of the plant and make it miniature.

Araucaria Care

It is better not to grow a Christmas tree in rooms where there is central heating and dry air. Such a tree will grow beautifully in a greenhouse. Therefore, if you decide to purchase it, strictly observe the conditions for keeping this plant in order to avoid its death or illness.

Optimal temperature and lighting for keeping a Christmas tree

• The monkey tree needs a cool room and fresh air.
• In the summer season, there should be room temperature not exceeding 20 degrees. In winter, the temperature regime in the room where domestic araucaria is kept should preferably not rise above 14-15 degrees, and the most ideal temperature is up to 10 degrees.

• The coniferous flower grows well in the shade, but diffused bright light is also favorable to it. In summer, direct sunlight can harm the Christmas tree, so it needs to be shaded (even if indoor araucaria is exhibited on open air) and protected from precipitation. It is advisable to place it in a room where light will fall on it from both sides. Otherwise, you will have to rotate the plant around its axis all the time - once a week by 90 degrees, for its symmetrical growth.

Feeding and watering house spruce

In the spring-summer season, the monkey tree is fed every 14 days with fertilizers that contain a little calcium, because the Christmas tree reacts negatively to it. Also, mullein infusion is used as top dressing - once every 30 days.

• Caring for araucaria at home involves year-round watering with settled water at room temperature;
• IN winter period it requires moderate watering, especially if it is in a cool room, active in spring and summer. During this time period, it is undesirable to overdry the earthen lump, but water should not be allowed to stagnate in a pot;
• The needles of plants in the summer need to be sprayed all the time, and in the winter season in heated rooms it is simply necessary to do this. This process is performed 2 times a day.

Transplanting a monkey tree

Most auspicious time for this - March-April and summer.

• Transplantation is carried out as needed, with a strong braiding of the roots of the entire earthen coma;
• Only overgrown trees are subjected to this process, because such specimens do not tolerate transplantation;
• A large crop needs to be transplanted once every three to four years;
• Araucaria in a pot should feel free, so wide containers are used, which should contain a generous layer of drainage, and holes are needed at the bottom of the vessel to prevent moisture stagnation;
• For a coniferous beauty, the best option would be a medium-sized pot with a wide base. A flowerpot with a height of 25 cm or more is also well suited;
• A homemade araucaria tree growing in a small vessel that is not suitable for it in size will lag behind its counterparts in development and growth, because such a pot will restrain its growth.

For a monkey tree, soil with a slightly acidic reaction is favorable. Sod, leaf, peat soil and sand are made up in the form of a substrate (1:2:2:1), or clay-turf-leaf soil and sand (2:2:1:0.5) are used. A mixture of equal proportions of soddy, deciduous and coniferous soil, or sand, peat, humus with the addition of 1/2 of the share of coniferous soil is also perfect.

Reproduction of the home Christmas tree

Occurs with the help of semi-lignified stem cuttings and seeds that are sown immediately after harvest, because they instantly lose their germination.

• Araucaria seeds are sown one by one in a pot, which is filled with a mixture of sand and peat soil, and a little charcoal is added. Also, the mixture may contain sand, leaf, sod and peat soils;
• Moisturize, cover with a layer of sphagnum on top and remove the vessels into a room with a temperature regime of 19-20 degrees, not forgetting to constantly spray and ventilate;
• Germination of seedlings is uneven, from two weeks to two months. They dive when the first coniferous bunch appears. If the seedlings are planted in a pot one at a time, they are not seated, but wait until the roots of the araucaria intertwine the whole lump. Then they can be transplanted into a large container.

Reproduction using semi-lignified cuttings involves rooting in March-April.

• The semi-lignified tops of a mature plant are cut into cuttings, 3-4 cm below the whorl;
• The cuttings are dried before planting in the shade for about a day. Next, the sections are cleaned of resinous juice, sprinkled with charcoal in the form of a powder. It is also desirable to treat cuts of cuttings before planting with heteroauxin (root formation stimulator);
• For rooting, cuttings are planted one at a time in a substrate of peat and sand (1: 1), which must be wet, or simply in sand;
• Everything is covered plastic bottle or bank.

If you have a mini-greenhouse with bottom heating, rooting will occur very quickly there. Temperature regime maintained up to 25-26 degrees, you need to do constant spraying and airing. Rooting cuttings of a Christmas tree is a rather long process, which takes two months. If the cuttings are kept at a low temperature, then rooting can take 4-5 months. After the roots are tangled, rooted cuttings must be planted in the substrate most suitable for a fully formed plant.

If you do not want to wait a long time, but immediately want to admire the graceful coniferous beauty, then you can buy an already adult tree in the online plant store. The price will depend on the type and height of the instance. For example, a Christmas tree 30 cm high will cost about 1,500 rubles, and the cost of a 1.5-meter spruce will be about 10,000 rubles. You can also purchase a plant from lovers of indoor flora on an ad. It will cost a lot less.

If you like coniferous indoor plants, then pay attention to and.

Araucaria is an exotic, unusual, beautiful plant. It is also called monkey riddle or tree. This representative of the flora belongs to the coniferous trees of the Araucariaceae family, grows in the rocky areas of New Zealand, Australia, and also South America.

Under natural conditions, araucaria is a giant tree. Miniature specimens are grown in houses and apartments. They resemble a small Christmas tree, which will be a great decoration for any room. Araucaria should not be treated solely as a miniature representative of conifers.

In nature, there are specimens reaching a height of up to 50 meters. The annual growth of the indoor variety is 10-15 centimeters per year, but only under the most favorable conditions. However, when planting a green beauty in the house, it should be borne in mind that a monkey tree can grow up to 1.5 meters.

Of course, araucaria is able to reach such a height a few years after planting, but this feature of the plant must be taken into account initially, having carefully considered where the copy of the exotic representative of the araucaria will stand.

Features of araucaria - monkey tree

Stems and shoots young plant covered with bright green bark. As the tree gets older, the branches begin to lignify and acquire Brown color. Lateral shoots are either horizontal or have a drooping shape. The branches grow from the base and form spectacular tiers on the stem. Over time, the lower shoots are shed, exposing the trunk.

The branch cover is small and hard cylindrical needles, resembling a monkey's tail. This gave rise to such an unusual name. This similarity is most clearly manifested in massive mature trees. In miniature varieties, this trend is weakly traced due to their small size.

The needles resemble sessile hard leaves. They are narrow or oblong or triangular. The color is light green. There is a slight bluish tinge. They are arranged in a spiral. This applies to both giant and miniature representatives. The needles fall off exclusively together with the branches, because they sit quite firmly.

The monkey tree is helpful. It produces phytoncides and esters that purify the air and kill harmful microorganisms.

flowering monkey tree

Most representatives of araucaria are dioecious. They, unlike many habitual for growing indoor plants, bloom after full maturation, coming about 40-50 years of the tree's life. In addition, flowering is different, depending on which monkey tree is grown.

Male specimens are lower. These trees are covered with elongated flowers that have many anthers. In length, they reach about 20-25 centimeters. Female araucaria does not have inflorescences. It forms oblong large cones, which are covered with green skin. Their diameter reaches up to 35 centimeters. When the cone ripens, you can find edible nuts inside, whose taste is similar to pine nuts.

What types of araucaria are grown indoors?

There are about twenty varieties of araucaria. Most are not suitable for growing at home. For this purpose, it is necessary to acquire extremely compact representatives of the monkey tree. The most popular varieties are described below.

multi-leaved

It is an unpretentious miniature species of araucaria. Its height reaches about 50-65 centimeters. And if, as mentioned earlier, it is not possible to grow a tree of 1.5 meters, the choice should be made in favor of a multi-leaved monkey tree.
The variety has an upright trunk covered with needles. The branches are long and horizontal. The vegetation is bright green and very saturated. A few more shoots grow on each branch, but they become shorter over time, acquiring the appearance of lateral processes.
Young trees are strewn with dense needle needles. It has a width of only 1 millimeter, and reaches a length of 1-2 centimeters. When the specimen matures, the needles acquire a triangular shape resembling scales. They differ in greater width (2-4 mm) and shorter length (8-10 mm). It turns out that the needles, expanding, are shortened.

Brazilian angustifolia

Differs in much larger sizes. Adult specimens can reach three or even four meters, but they rarely grow to a similar height in room conditions. This araucaria comes from Brazil, which is clear from the name.
This variety of monkey tree has a long stem with several whorled branches. It looks more like a palm tree than a representative of conifers. The crown is located at the top, resembles an umbrella. Lanceolate scales of dark green color at the ends turn into sharp spikes.

The needles are 5 mm wide and 3-6 cm long. It is denser on fertile branches. Narrow-leaved araucaria belongs to the dioecious. Cones grow up to a diameter of 20 centimeters.

Chilean

A true miniature representative of monkey trees, like the variegated araucaria. An upright tree does not grow above 60 centimeters.
One more hallmark is that the Chilean variety tolerates cold very well, since it grows in nature in highlands. The plant is able to survive temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius, but not for a very long time.
In an adult specimen, the bark acquires a green tint. The branches fall, so the stem is often dotted with "scars". Needle scales are a concave triangle 1-3 cm wide and 3-4 cm long, distributed in a spiral fashion. Leaves are kept on twigs up to 15 years.

Hunstein

The most popular variety. It is a small Christmas tree, reaching a height of 90 centimeters. It looks especially beautiful in tubs. The trunk is even, and the top is dotted with whorls of twigs.
The needles covering the shoots are 1.5-2 cm wide and 6-12 cm long. They have pointed edges and slightly wider bases. The plant is monoecious. Male inflorescences appear on thin branches, and on thicker ones - oval-shaped cones with a diameter of 25 centimeters.

Reproduction of the monkey tree

Araucaria is grown from seeds and cuttings. Both methods are widely used. However, when choosing seed, it should be borne in mind that seeds must be purchased from trusted suppliers. And if possible, it is better to take a cutting from an already adult specimen.

seeds

It is recommended to sow fresh, that is, no later than 2 months from the date of collection. Older seed is already becoming unsustainable. It is permissible to plant one or two seeds per pot. It is better to make several landings, because not everyone will ascend.
Plant seeds with a depth of a couple of centimeters in moist soil. Take either a sand-leaf or sand-peat mixture. Add some charcoal. Landing is kept at a temperature not higher than +20 degrees Celsius. The earth is regularly sprayed.
If the seeds are fresh, shoots appear after 2-8 weeks. No transplanting and picking is required. A seedling needs a new flowerpot only when the roots fill the space of the old container.

cuttings

Take top shoots. They are cut in March or April. Cuttings should be semi-lignified. Cutting is done under the whorl. The resin that is released is removed. The tip of the cut is dipped in crushed charcoal.
The cuttings are treated with root. They are planted in small containers filled with peat-sand soil. Landing is covered with a transparent cap. It is kept at +25 degrees Celsius. Full rooting takes approximately 60 days.

When is araucaria transplanted?

Transplantation should not be done frequently. It is best to carry out the procedure when the rhizome completely fills the old pot. Transplantation should begin with drying the soil in which the monkey tree grows. It is carried out in early spring.
The container is taken wider than the previous flowerpot. First, brick chips and shards are poured to the bottom, and then pre-prepared soil. The mixture is made from peat, sod land, sand, charcoal, leafy soil.
The monkey tree should be transferred to a new container as carefully as possible so as not to damage the rhizome. It is best to use the transshipment of an earthen coma, while preserving the old soil.

Features of caring for room araucaria

The monkey tree does not require any special care or maintenance. The main thing is to put the pot with the plant in a well-lit place, but so that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on it.
In the summer, the pot should be taken out into the street, placing it in a place protected from precipitation and winds. The uniform development of the tree ensures the periodic rotation of the tub. Araucaria does not tolerate heat well. The optimum temperature in summer is +20, and in winter - from +10 to +15 degrees.

Despite the fact that, in the courtyard of the third millennium, we still continue to believe in omens. For example, these:
- avoid borrowing money on Tuesday - you will be in debt all your life,
Take money with your left hand and give it with your right
- money is loved by the account, but not from the piggy bank (they will stop accumulating) and not late in the evening,
- money goes to money, but just as willingly into the house, if the broom is upside down,
- money goes like water: you can not have uncorrected plumbing in the house in order to avoid water leaks.

The people have always considered it dangerous to pick up a trifle on the street, especially at intersections - a trifle can be charmed. Raising a coin, you run the risk of getting a whole bunch of karmic sores in addition. Our wise ancestors advised us to use the found money wisely, spending it on good deeds: distribute it to the needy, help the sick, support the orphans. Then the money spent will return a hundredfold.
And yet, money must be lured.
Every nation has always had money talismans: the Russians have an unchangeable nickel, the Americans have the first dollar earned. The Germans kept a bent or drilled coin in their pocket or purse. The Chinese have a money amulet - as many as three yuan (small coins), connected through holes with a red silk ribbon.
Both the talisman and the money itself are supposed to be gently stroked and protected from time to time. In order for capital to grow, you need to show a coin to the young month.
And finally, the most environmental advice.

Plant a money tree - a fat woman. Moreover, you should not buy a finished plant, you need to break off a small process yourself, put it in a pot, cherish it and groom it.
Thanks to its round, fleshy leaves, the fat woman is able to accumulate and radiate positive energy.
The tree-like fat woman has a rare stability and unpretentiousness. In general, the fat woman is a photophilous plant. But in order to direct the energy flows in the right direction, it is very important to properly position the plant. The southeast window is ideal for a fat woman. This is a sector of wealth (just what we need), and the southern sun will benefit the plant. And the east, according to the philosophy of Feng Shui, is a tree zone, so no contradictions should arise. To stimulate Yang energy, tie a red ribbon to the trunk of the money tree, it will help achieve the desired result.
During the growth period, it is best to keep the fat woman at a temperature of 20-22 degrees. In winter, she prefers cooler temperatures. When airing the room in the cold, be careful. Frosty air can kill the plant. Doesn't like over watering. The soil should dry out between waterings. In order to give the fat woman the shape of a small tree, pinch it at a height of 25-30 cm to form a trunk.
Fertilizer: From late spring to mid-summer, feed with a special fertilizer for cacti and other succulents once a month.
Humidity: Crassulas are tolerant of dry air, but occasional spraying won't hurt at all and will serve hygienic purposes.
Transplantation: Soil - 1 part sod, 1 part leaf, 1 part peat land, 1 part sand and brick chips. For adult and old plants, soddy soil is 2 parts. Young plants are transplanted annually, old ones a year later. After transplanting, watering is very careful - little by little, so as not to cause root rot. It is useful to add brick chips and pieces of birch charcoal to the soil for fat women.

And sometimes, though very rarely, the fat girl blooms. I wonder how this will affect the financial situation of the happy owner of a modest bouquet? Probably, a breathtaking financial takeoff awaits him! But even having reached the desired heights, do not forget about your living talisman.

Baobab is one of the most amazing and ancient inhabitants of the flora of our planet.

Before my trip to Africa, I must admit, I knew little about baobabs. Although, of course, these trees fascinated me with their power in the pictures. But I was imbued with a special love for these trees already being in Africa. It happened shortly after I tried the unusual fruit of the baobab. Maybe they are magical?

Giants rise baobab trees over the savannas in Africa, inspiring involuntary respect and admiration. The locals consider the baobab a sacred tree. In the culture of many peoples of Africa there is a custom - each person must plant baobab seeds near his home.

I hope that the Africans who read Antoine de Saint-Exupery are not offended by him because the writer chose the baobab as a veiled symbol of the ideas of fascism advancing on people's minds. The Little Prince dealt with the baobabs on his planet very cruelly: " And now, on the planet of the Little Prince, there are terrible, evil seeds ... these are the seeds of baobabs. The soil of the planet is all infected with them. And if the baobab is not recognized in time, then you will not get rid of it. He will take over the entire planet. He will pierce it through with his roots. And if the planet is very small and there are many baobabs, they will tear it to pieces."The Little Prince adds:" There is a hard and fast rule. You got up in the morning, washed your face, put yourself in order - and immediately put your planet in order. Be sure to weed out the baobabs every day".

Like this. Someone considers it necessary to plant at least one baobab in their life, and someone makes it a rule to weed baobabs every day. It's good that the last one is a fairy tale. It looks like the Little Prince knew nothing about baobabs!

"Baobab is our everything!", - any inhabitant of the African continent can say so. And he will be right.

Here are some useful facts about the undoubted benefits of this tree. Whole plant - from seeds to leaves and wood.

1. Baobab fruits.

They contain six times more vitamin C than oranges and outperform many dairy products in terms of calcium. Also, the fruits of this tree are rich in antioxidants, surpassing blueberries, blueberries, apples, and kiwi in this. The baobab fruit contains vitamins F, A, B, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, etc. Since ancient times, people have been using baobab for the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases: diarrhea, dysbacteriosis, gastritis. The use of these healthy fruits in food normalizes stools, reduces varicose veins, prevents anorexia and anemia, treats hemorrhoids, osteoporosis, and improves immunity. Fruit juice helps with eye diseases and feverish conditions.

Yes, and the fruits of the baobab can be perfectly adapted to the original cup, glass or just a vessel for water.

These fruits, up to 40 centimeters long, resemble large oblong cucumbers. Ripens in the dry season. "Cucumbers" are covered with gray-green felt-like pubescence, pleasant to the touch. Inside the fruit is sour, slightly astringent in the mouth, pulp. It is white or slightly pinkish in color, with many black seeds.

Baobab fruits are usually eaten raw. They also say they are used to prepare a dessert refreshing drink, which is called "meriss". The drink turns out to be similar to lemonade, therefore, among the people, the baobab is sometimes known as the "lemonade tree".

The fruits can be dried, ground into a powder, and the latter can be used in making bread. Due to the high content of calcium in fruits, fruits are especially recommended for use by women during pregnancy and lactation.

By the way, no contraindications have been identified. One benefit of these fruits! This is why some scientists today call the baobab the Superfruit of the 21st century. Now in fashion both in Europe and in the United States, a medical preparation from the fruits of the baobab, referred to as "Baobab Life". In the absence of the opportunity to eat regularly fresh baobab fruits, this medical preparation can also be purchased from us.

But the monkeys even before people saw through the usefulness of the fruits of the baobab and love these fruits very much. Therefore, the baobab is also called monkey breadfruit. The lips of monkeys are not stupid!

There are exceptions to all rules. Fishermen from some Zambian tribes, without denying the benefits of baobab fruits, try to exclude them from their diet. In an incomprehensible way, it is believed that if you eat a baobab, then crocodiles will swarm around your fishing boat.

2. Baobab seeds.

And they are edible. They have a lot of oil. Often they are eaten lightly fried. Also, if you roast them and then grind them, you can make a drink that tastes like coffee. However, apparently, useful qualities disappear when frying. Otherwise, the saying would not have been born in Africa: " Don't roast baobab seeds, leave them to someone with teeth to chew them.".

There is another benefit to these seeds. If an arrow lubricated with strophanthus hits you, then you need to quickly make an antidote from baobab seeds. And you are saved from the strongest poison that the Africans smear arrows with! However, the probability of being a target for an arrow fired from an arrow at you by an evil African is currently reduced to zero.

The seeds are very pretty, by the way. I also thought that they could be successfully adapted for some board games. For example, for mancala. This game is widely played in Kenya and Uganda. It is used for wooden plank with cells-depressions and a lot of game chips, the same size. Why not use baobab seeds as tokens?

3. Baobab leaves.

Help in the treatment of fever. They are considered a means of reducing sweating. In Senegal, they like to use crushed bark and leaves instead of salt and pepper. Sauces, seasonings for food are prepared from them, they are used as a starter for dough.

If the fruits of the baobab are a favorite delicacy of monkeys, then elephants prefer branches and leaves in the baobab. Although the elephant with desire will eat everything else in the baobab, gradually splitting the tree into chips with the help of its powerful tusks. The wood of the tree serves as a source of calcium for elephants. In this tree, it is ten times more than in other plants. Sometimes the elephant becomes enraged and throws himself at the baobab tree. A strong animal often has the strength to knock down a tree, but sometimes a heavy giant baobab crushes the offender. However, cases of fights between elephants and baobabs are not so frequent. Apparently, the animal is driven at this moment by the torment of intense thirst. After all, this tree is able to accumulate huge reserves of water in the rainy season. Sometimes up to 120 thousand liters in one tree! The thick, spongy bark keeps water from evaporating quickly. Therefore, baobabs can be called a kind of living reservoirs, which is known not only to people, but also to animals.

4. Ashes of the burnt fruit.

Yes, yes, even if the fruit is not eaten, but burned, then in this case it will be useful. Soap of excellent quality is obtained from the ashes. "Persil" and "Stork" are just relaxing!

5. Baobab flower pollen.

You can make glue from it.

Huge, 20 cm in diameter, single baobab flowers, with five petals and a bunch of numerous stamens, hang beautifully on long legs.

However, few people manage to admire the flowers of the baobab. Flowers open one fine evening, once a year, during the rainy season. But their life is short. As soon as the sun rises, the flowers fade and wither. Only palm fruit bats, or the so-called flying dogs, can appreciate the nectar of baobabs. These representatives of bats are pollinators of these plants. Drawn by the musky smell of large white flowers, hundreds of flying dogs flock to the tree on such a night. Animals stick their muzzles into flowers, lick the juice, hanging on the branches. They fly from flower to flower, pollinating plants. Short African night! You gape - you won’t have time to eat delicious nectar for the future. An interesting fact and is that all this horde of flying dogs are representatives of the male half of this species of fruit bats. This means that baobab flowers "can" secrete substances close to pheromones characteristic of female flying dogs.

6. Baobab bark and wood.

Famous Senegalese proverb " Helpless like an elephant tied with a baobab rope"does not need explanation. Strong ropes are made from strong fibers of the inner layer of the bark. Also, paper, fabrics, burlap, strings for folk musical instruments. From wood, local residents also manage to make dishes and even boats. And this is despite the fact that the wood of the tree and its thick bark are loose and soft in structure. They are so tender that even a punch can leave a dent in a tree. And a bullet fired from a rifle can even pierce through this giant of the savannah! They give strength to the tree and do not allow it to be vulnerable to life's adversities on life path, sometimes stretched for millennia, those very strong fibers, about which there is a saying mentioned above.

The bark of the baobab, even crumpled, tends to recover. So, in Zambia, some trees continue to grow even with spears stuck in the trunk. Why were spears stuck in trees? The fact is that people from the Ngoni tribe once believed that their enemies from the Biza tribe had the ability to turn into baobabs. Therefore, they pierced tree trunks with spears in the fight against the people of Biz.

Baobab bark is boiled and then newborn babies are washed with this water. This is how they do it in Africa to this day. It is believed that the bark will give newly born crumbs vitality.

7. Baobab roots.

East African women use the red juice contained in the roots for cosmetic purposes - to give the skin softness and a beautiful healthy glow.

In general, this kind giant of the African savannas has long been giving people food, water, and medicine. And also blood.

Soft, water-saturated baobab wood often suffers from fungal diseases. As a result, the trunks of many mature trees form a cavity or hollow, thoroughly rotten from the inside. But such fungal disease does not prevent the tree from living for hundreds or even thousands of years, giving shelter to people and animals.

David Livingston, a Scottish traveler, a famous African explorer, recalled in his diaries that he saw 20-30 people sleeping sweetly inside a dried-up baobab trunk. And no one interfered with anyone - there was enough space for everyone.

Such baobabs can still be found in African expanses. Usually the baobab grows up to 20 meters in height and the same width.

However, some baobabs have incredibly huge trunks that inside the tree there can be a barn and even a dwelling for people.

They say that in Kenya, on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, there is a baobab, in the cavity of which a door and a window are made. It's like a house of refuge. We, driving along this road by hitchhiking, did not see this miracle. It remains to believe what is written.

In Tanzania, a gigantic tree with a cavity stands by the side of the road, which serves as a hall-station for people waiting for their bus. About 40 people can be at this "station" at the same time!

Near the town of Kasane in Botswana there is a baobab tree that was once used as a prison.

This baobab toilet was photographed at Kayila Lodge in Zambia.

The Sunland Baobab Bar is a famous giant tree in South Africa. This is one of the largest baobab trees on the continent, with a height of 22 meters. And to grab a baobab, you need to clasp 40 people with your hands! The tree is so big that an entire bar fits inside it! Well, isn't it entourage to drink a cup of coffee or a mug of beer inside a huge old tree? According to some estimates, the tree is already over 6,000 years old! The bar accommodates 15 people freely. Despite the huge hall inside the tree, the thickness of the walls of the bar is 2 meters. By the way, the trunk of this baobab is naturally hollow. The bar has been popular since 1933. And before that, for several millennia, the tree probably served as a refuge for the Bushmen. Holy place is not empty.

In Namibia, there is a baobab, in the hollow of which the locals organized a bath.

In ancient Senegal, griot storytellers were buried in baobab hollows. It was believed that if the body of a deceased griot was buried in a cemetery, then this would make the land barren forever. Griots are a special caste, they are troubadour singers, jesters, compilers of genealogies, but they can also be thieves and swindlers. Even until recently, in some hollows-graves of baobabs, skulls were found that had lain there for decades and were preserved in excellent condition. Thus, the trunk of a baobab can also serve as a reliable sarcophagus.

Baobab is also called the "Tree of Magic", because the baobab symbolizes strength, power, eternity. There are many legends and beliefs associated with this amazing tree. They say that whoever stands under the branches of the baobab tree will give everything that the person asks for. You just need to know how to ask correctly.

For fidelity since ancient times, shamans use baobab leaves as part of a potion that promotes the fulfillment of desires. Baobab bark, prepared according to special shamanic recipes, enhances the physical capabilities of a person who has taken a magical drink. Talismans are made from the bark of the baobab. Moreover, the baobab is multifunctional in its magical properties. Talismans from it help both in obtaining wealth and in gaining mutual love.

How can you not admire these beautiful giants of the African savannas?

These trees are also huge and immense as knowledge, wisdom. That's what people say: Knowledge is the trunk of the baobab tree, which cannot be embraced by one person.". Therefore, everything that I wanted to write about this did not fit in one post amazing tree- so immense are the amazing facts and legends about him. So I will continue the tale about the baobab.

P.S. The photos used in this post are taken from public sources on the Internet.

My own impressions of the taste of baobab fruits can be read in or in a post about.

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