The Mumbai Tree Project
The beautiful baobab near Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, which was named the Best Tree by the National Society of Friends of Trees
Its fruit pulp contains almost 10 times the vitamin C as an orange. Native to Africa, it was introduced to India by Arab and Portuguese traders. A tree of this species is the oldest known angiosperm tree according to carbon-dating. These trees are the source of hundreds of fascinating legends.
This fascinating, charming tree is the baobab tree. The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is a tree of stories, ecological importance, cultural significance, and even medicinal value, and is certainly worthy of being called the Tree of Life.
Read on to learn about the tree and to trace the baobab trail of Bombay
The Bombay Baobabs
All photographs have been taken by us in 2023
Rani Bagh, Byculla. Visit our Rani Bagh section to discover the other fascinating trees there
Contents
Title | Number |
|---|---|
Discovering Baobabs | 1 |
Legends and Baobabs | 2 |
Nutritional and Ecological Roles | 3 |
Medicinal Uses | 4 |
The Many Names of the Baobab | 5 |
Bombay Baobab Trail | 6 |
Discovering Baobabs
A young baobab tree in Sagar Upvan Botanical Garden in place of the one that died in a storm during the lockdown
Baobabs are trees belonging to the genus Adansonia which comprises 8 species. Native to Africa, the species Adansonia digitata (African baobab trees) is the most widespread and the trees can live for over 1000 years. The baobab trees that are found in Mumbai are those belonging to the species Adansonia digitata and are the baobabs described below.
These deciduous trees can grow up to around 25m tall and are known for their large girth. The trunk can even reach 15m in diameter. In fact, trees of the species Adansonia digitata are considered to have among the largest girths in the world. Baobabs often have hollow cavities in their centre. Researchers believe that the reason for the cavities is that the trees are actually made of fused stems in a ring-shaped arrangement.
The hollow cavities of baobab trees have helped make them wonderfully multipurpose. In Africa, some baobab trees have been used as homes, post-offices, even a bar for gold miners and a toilet.
The trees are highly branched and have relatively shallow main roots. Mature leaves of adult trees have 5-9 leaflets. Flowering occurs at the end of the dry season, and the (bat-pollinated) flowers are white and bloom at night, falling at dawn the next day. Initially sweet smelling, the flowers start emitting a pungent smell- akin to decaying flesh!-and turning brown within 24 hours.
The ancient Badhwar Park Baobab, Colaba
Baobabs and legends
The baobab tree is central in fascinating legends and stories, many explaining the interesting shape of the tree, with its trunk tapering upwards.
According to one legend recounted across Africa, the first baobab tree grew next to a lake. Looking at its reflection one day when the lake was still, the tree was horrified when it realised it did not have the bright flowers or large leaves of the other trees. So it complained ceaselessly to the creator about its small leaves, white flowers and bark. Frustrated, the creator turned the tree upside down and replanted it so that it could no longer look at its reflection or complain. To recompense for its whining, the voiceless and upside down baobab has helped people for thousands of years.
Some stories declare that plucking a flower from a baobab tree means a lion will eat you, while some tribes in the Transvaal wash baby boys in water soaked in the bark of a baobab so they imbibe the tree’s strength and health. A large baobab in the Kafue National Park is even claimed to be a maiden-eater!
Another legend from Burkina Faso proclaims that the baobab kept walking from continent to continent, until a fed up god replanted the tree upside down to immobilise it.
Despite the efforts of the god, however, the baobab tree was brought to India by Portuguese and Abyssinian traders where it has taken on a fascinating and unique role. The over 430 year old baobab tree in Hyderabad’s Golconda fort, though often overlooked by tourists, is supposedly one of the biggest and oldest baobabs outside Africa! Its history is unknown even today, but, according to folklore, thieves used to store stolen goods in the tree - some people even claim this very baobab inspired the famous Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.
Baobabs play a social and cultural role too. In African villages, baobab trees are often meeting points. In India, baobabs also act as living monuments: Portuguese traders thought the trees brought good luck and so carried saplings while travelling. Thus, baobabs- because of their long lifespans- act as photosynthesising monuments to Portuguese trade and eventual colonisation of India and specifically Mumbai.
Mumbai University, Fort campus. Can you see the face on the tree?
Nutritional, Ecological, and functional roles
The fruit of the baobab tree is indehiscent: it does not spontaneously split when ripe to release seeds. Instead, it is often broken down by animals like chimpanzees or cracks open when it falls on a hard surface.
The (powdery) pulp and seeds within the fruits as well as the leaves are known for their high nutrient content. The fruit pulp has a very high ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content- nearly 10 times that of oranges. It is frequently incorporated in dishes especially in rural Africa, and when dissolved in water, can be used as a fermenting agent. The leaves contain all the essential amino acids. They also display antioxidant properties. The seeds have high phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium content especially, and can be roasted, eaten fresh or ground to be used as a coffee substitute.
The tree's functionality does not end there: the bark can be used to form rope and the seed oil is used in cosmetics.
Visiting the Baobab of Wadala on an early Friday morning
Legends say the baobab originally grew the right way up but was extremely proud and viewed itself as superior to other trees, angering gods who replanted the tree with its roots in the air. If any tree was to be given a permit for pride, however, the baobab’s nutritional and ecological role proves that it should be a topmost candidate. The tree provides habitats for numerous species in the wild. For example monkeys love the fruits, red-billed buffalo weavers make nests in baobabs, and insects often live in the canopy. Baobabs play a significant role in carbon sequestration and soil erosion prevention too.
Another baobab-related tale says that the god, Thora, started disliking the baobab tree so much that he threw the tree out of his special garden. The baobab fell to Earth upside down, but kept growing. It's true that the tree is hardy. In spite of the damage that's often caused to the bark by elephants trying to access water and people, the baobab can regenerate parts of its bark.
The Baobab of Dhobi Talao
However, worryingly, despite baobabs’ long lifespans and notable regenerative properties, many of the largest and oldest baobabs are dying or have died in a comparatively short period of time in Africa. This is probably because of climate change resulting in extended droughts and hotter temperatures.
Medicinal uses
Leaves of the baobab tree have traditionally been used to prepare decoctions to treat several diseases and conditions as varying as kidney diseases, diarrhea, fever, and gingivitis. The bark is used to treat colds and fevers, and the pulp to treat measles and dysentery. The bark and seeds have anti-inflammatory properties.
The Many Names of the Baobab
Tree feature related names:
Scientific name: Adansonia digitata
The genus, Adansonia, is named after French botanist Micheal Adanson who came across the tree when travelling to Senegal to study its plants and animals. The species, digitata, is named so because of the fingerlike (digitate) leaflets.
Popular name in English: baobab, probably coming from the Arabic
"bu hibab" which translates to fruit with many seeds
Fruit related names: Other names for the tree include dead-rat tree, because of how the fruit look, monkey-bread tree, because its fruits are food for monkeys, and cream of tartar tree because of the citric and tartaric acids in the pulp.
Indian names:
In northern India, the baobab is sometimes considered the Kalpavriksha (wish-giving tree). This was because there was usually only one baobab in a village, leading villagers to believe that there was only one in the whole world.
A specific baobab near Allahabad (which is now almost 800 years old according to carbon dating!) was known as the "datum" (a teeth-cleaning twig that is used to prevent tooth decay) since it was believed that a Muslim saint, after using a twig to clean his teeth, planted the twig and it grew into the baobab tree.
In Hindi, the ancient baobab near Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is also called hatiyan ka jhad (translating to elephant tree), probably because of its large size and greyish-brown bark colour.
In Gujarat baobabs are sometimes called “chor aamlo” (chor translates to thief) since it is believed that thieves used to hide in the trees.
It is also called Gorakh chinch- chinch, meaning tamarind tree, and Gorakh after the Saint Gorakhnath who is supposed to have preached to his followers under a baobab tree.
Other names:
The tree has been called "abre a palabre". In French, "abre" means tree and "palabre" means long discussions. In African villages, the tree is often where the villagers meet to discuss village matters.
The baobab tree has many fascinating names, which can tell us a lot about how different people's perspectives are: they can look at the same tree and connect it to so many unique things (quite reminiscent of the Blind Men and the Elephant)! This is why we need understand the various names for the tree to understand the tree as a whole.
Schoolchildren under a baobab tree, Rani Bagh
Bombay baobab trail
The city is said to have around 120 baobabs! Here are the ones we've visited. Unfortunately, these beautiful, historic trees are often unappreciated and unrecognised. In 2020, Vashi's last baobab was cut down by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. We must protect our unique living monuments!