• Despite the heat, Africa is home to a variety of trees.earth - europe and africa image by Orlando Florin Rosu from Fotolia.com
  
  The trees in Africa are an integral part of the vast, grassy savannahs of the continent. These trees provide shade, shelter and food to both the wildlife and people in the area. The trees in African savannahs do not grow close to each other but are scattered here and there due to the hard crusted land surface. The vegetation in this type of ground only sprouts from where there are cracks in the ground where it is easier for these plants and trees to grow deeper in search of water. Some of the more common trees in Africa are the acacia and baobab trees.
  
  

African Baobab

• The African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is the most widespread variety of baobab found in Africa. The tree is a traditional food source on the continent and is also referred to as the upside-down tree, tree of life, monkey bread tree and botanical monster. Baobab trees are considered to be among the oldest trees on earth. The tree remains leafless most of the time, giving it an appearance of roots sticking upward. Baobab trees are long lived but slow growing, reaching a mature height of about 70 feet. The younger trees are not resistant to extended droughts and commonly perish. Baobab trees bloom with large and sweet-smelling flowers. The trees grow in belts across the entire African continent.
  
  

Buffalothorn

• Buffalothorn tree (Ziziphus mucronata) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree with shiny green leaves which grows to a mature height of about 50 feet. The tree is frost and drought resistant and blooms with thick bunches of silvery green flowers between October and April. The large red berries of the tree attract a variety of birds. Buffalothorn has pairs of thorns where one thorn is straight and the other is hooked. The branches of the tree are used for protecting cattle and in traditional burial ceremonies. The bark, leaves and roots are used as medicine for respiratory and stomach disorders and skin infections. Many African tribes consider the tree to be safe in events of lightning.
  
  

Lala Palm

• The lala palm (Hyphaene coriacea) is a large palm tree which grows to a mature height of about 22 feet. The palm is also referred to as molala. The tree is single or multitrunked and has a slight swelling halfway up the trunk. Lala palm is commonly found in the low-altitude bush land and often grows to form thick stands. The leaves of the palm are fan-shaped and grayish green. The tree produces large quantities of small, pear-shaped, ginger-flavored, sweet fruit. The fruits take about 2 years to ripen and another 2 years to fall from the tree. New lala palm leaves are a favorite food of elephants.