The Baobab Tree

Throughout Africa, communities respect the baobab tree as central to life. As a result, its giant trunk, unusual shape, and long life have given rise to folklore, such as an ability to "swallow up" maidens. Ghana's well-known proverb, Knowledge is like the trunk of a baobab tree; no one's arms are long enough to wrap around it, refers to the limitless boundaries of wisdom. Wisdom that, in this proverb, is likened to the African baobab's usefulness. The baobab serves people from birth to death, providing food, water, clothing, rope, shelter, feed for animals, and a tomb for burial. Read about the rich contribution of this majestic giant of the African bush to the life of the communities to which they belong.