Two species (Adansonia digitata and Adansonia kilima) of deciduous trees of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae) are native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They have unusual barrel-like trunks and are known for their extraordinary longevity and ethnobotanical importance.  

The African baobab (A. digitata) boasts the oldest known angiosperm tree: carbon-14 dating places the age of a specimen in Namibia at about 1,275 years. Known as the “Tree of Life,” the species is found throughout the drier regions of Africa and features a water-storing trunk that may reach a diameter of 9 meters (30 feet) and a height of 18 meters (59 feet). 

Older individuals often have huge hollow trunks that are formed by the fusion of multiple stems over time. The tree’s unique pendulous flowers are pollinated by bats and bush babies. Its young leaves are edible, and the large gourd-like woody fruit contains a tasty mucilaginous pulp from which a refreshing drink can be made.