The Baobab

Foolish me. Showing up in Mali, traveling the country only to be surprised at seeing numerous Baobab trees throughout the southern portion of the country. Little did I know that there are actually nine different species of the Adansonia (Baobab) tree.

When I think of Baobabs, I always think of the Avenue of the Baobabs. A place I've never been to, but is perhaps one of the greatest reasons I want to visit Madagascar. That, and the fact that lemurs are endemic to Madagascar. As it turns out, six of the nine species of Adansonia are endemic to Madagascar.

I find the look of the Baobab to be quite unique. The ones in Mali, while recognizable, are all quite different in appearance. Most of them in Mali were stripped of their leaves for other uses. How the tree survives with its leaves fully plucked off, I don't know. Perhaps they're only 'harvested' once a year or at certain times of the year? This was one of the rare Baobabs I came across that still had its leaves, and fruit too!