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Baobab tree in Vietnam
Posted date 15/06/2018
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Posted date 15/06/2018
14.928 view
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In Vietnam, probably not many people know and even fewer people have seen with their own eyes the giant Baobab tree originating from Africa, the largest and longest-lived tree species among flowering plants on earth (Madagascar has 6 species, East Africa has 1 species and Australia has 1 species). One of them has the scientific name Adansonia grandidieri Baill., subfamily Bombacoideae, belonging to the family Bombacaceae; the English name is Baobab tree. It is also known as 'Monkey-bread tree'.
In Vietnam, probably not many people know and even fewer people have seen with their own eyes the giant Baobab tree originating in Africa , the largest and longest-lived tree species among flowering plants on earth ( Madagascar has 6 species, East Africa has 1 species and Australia has 1 species). One of them has the scientific name Adansonia grandidieri Baill., subfamily Bombacoideae , Bombacaceae family ; English name is Baobab tree. It is also known as 'Monkey-bread tree'.
Baobab trees are 5-25(-30)m tall, with a large trunk and a trunk diameter of 7-11m (or a trunk circumference of 22-35m). The trunk can store up to 120,000 liters of water to survive in extremely dry conditions. Baobab trees can live for several hundred years, the oldest trees today are over 2,000 years old. Notably, a tree named Panke in Zimbabwe (the oldest tree ever) fell in 2010, estimated to have lived 2,500 years.
Baobab trees are 5-25(-30)m tall, with a large trunk and a trunk diameter of 7-11m (or a trunk circumference of 22-35m). The trunk can store up to 120,000 liters of water to survive in extremely dry conditions. Baobab trees can live for several hundred years, the oldest trees today are over 2,000 years old. Notably, a tree named Panke in Zimbabwe (the oldest tree ever) fell in 2010, estimated to have lived 2,500 years.
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Figure 1: Baobab tree, endemic and national tree of Madagascar .
In Africa, Baobab fruit is used to make juice. The fruit pulp has a high energy value, over 300 kcal / 100g of fresh fruit. This fruit pulp is rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus. The seeds are rich in fat, ranging from 8-46%, used for cooking. The seed oil contains malvalic (3-28%), sterculic (1-8%) and dihydrosterculic (1.5-5.1%) acids. There are no epoxy or hydroxyl fatty acids. In addition, this oil also contains palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids.
Baobab trees are also present in Vietnam.
Baobab is a native tree of Africa, suitable for the hottest and driest climate in the world, but it has long been planted in Vietnam . According to Wikipedia and news reports, there is a tree about 100 years old in Ha Tien ( Kien Giang province ), considered the oldest in Vietnam. In Hue, there are 3 trees: one on Tran Phu street, one in the yard of Dien Bien 2 hotel, and one in front of the "Baobab" restaurant, Mai Thuc Loan street (brought from France by Forestry Engineer Ng. H. Dinh around 1950, originating from Africa). This tree is over 60 years old, about 17m high, 1m in diameter, named Adansonia grandidieri by Professor Ho. Later, Baobab was mostly propagated from the tree in Hue and planted in many other places, or newly imported. In Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City currently has 4 Baobab trees (3 trees in the Zoo, one tree in the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, about 25 years old). Hanoi also has one tree, about 10 years old.
Recently, some newspapers reported that Mr. Ng.V. Ngoc (Thach Bich village, Bich Hoa commune, Thanh Oai, Hanoi) has successfully grown a rare Baobab tree using seeds from a tree grown in Hue (in 2012). The tree is now 1.5m tall and is ready to provide this tree to places in need.
Also according to the above news, teacher Than Trong Ninh, who has many years of research on Baobab trees, said that the Baobab species currently planted at Mr. Ngoc's house was taken from Hue, belonging to the group of Baobab trees with tall trunks. The Baobab tree from Senegal that he recently gave to Mr. Ngoc's family is a short Baobab species, but the trunk diameter is larger than the tall Baobab tree.
Baobab trees are also present in Vietnam.
Baobab is a native tree of Africa, suitable for the hottest and driest climate in the world, but it has long been planted in Vietnam . According to Wikipedia and news reports, there is a tree about 100 years old in Ha Tien ( Kien Giang province ), considered the oldest in Vietnam. In Hue, there are 3 trees: one on Tran Phu street, one in the yard of Dien Bien 2 hotel, and one in front of the "Baobab" restaurant, Mai Thuc Loan street (brought from France by Forestry Engineer Ng. H. Dinh around 1950, originating from Africa). This tree is over 60 years old, about 17m high, 1m in diameter, named Adansonia grandidieri by Professor Ho. Later, Baobab was mostly propagated from the tree in Hue and planted in many other places, or newly imported. In Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City currently has 4 Baobab trees (3 trees in the Zoo, one tree in the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, about 25 years old). Hanoi also has one tree, about 10 years old.
Recently, some newspapers reported that Mr. Ng.V. Ngoc (Thach Bich village, Bich Hoa commune, Thanh Oai, Hanoi) has successfully grown a rare Baobab tree using seeds from a tree grown in Hue (in 2012). The tree is now 1.5m tall and is ready to provide this tree to places in need.
Also according to the above news, teacher Than Trong Ninh, who has many years of research on Baobab trees, said that the Baobab species currently planted at Mr. Ngoc's house was taken from Hue, belonging to the group of Baobab trees with tall trunks. The Baobab tree from Senegal that he recently gave to Mr. Ngoc's family is a short Baobab species, but the trunk diameter is larger than the tall Baobab tree.
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Photo 2: More than 300 young Baobab trees are planted in Mr. Ngoc's garden (source: Internet)
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Figure 3: Baobab tree at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education with flowers (source: Internet)
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Figure 4: Baobab flowers bloom only at night, are as big as a hand, with stems up to 1m long (source: Internet)
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Figure 5: Baobab fruit in Africa, oval, 20-30cm long (source: Internet)
Baobab, a multi-purpose tree
From the trunk, leaves, to the fruit of the Baobab tree, all have uses to serve human life and cure diseases.
In Africa ( Malawi , Zimbabwe and the Sahel ), young Baobab leaves are rich in vitamin C, containing uronic acid, and are considered a vegetable in West Africa. In Nigeria , the leaves are locally known as kuka and are used to make kuka soup. The pulp of the fruit (after removing the seeds and fibers) is rich in vitamin C and B2, and can be made into a beverage or mixed with oatmeal or milk . The seeds are used primarily as a thickener for soups, but can also be fermented into a spice, or roasted for direct consumption, or crushed to extract oil . The trunk is also a source of fiber , dye and firewood. Young leaves, fruits, bark and seeds of the Baobab tree are also used as animal feed and fuel.
According to foreign documents, Baobab leaves can be used as medicine to treat diarrhea, fever, kidney and bladder diseases, asthma, fatigue, insect bites and allergies. Leaves and flowers are used to treat respiratory diseases, digestive disorders and eye inflammation. Seeds can treat stomach, kidney and joint diseases, and are used to treat tooth and gum inflammation. Fruit pulp, seeds and bark are considered antidotes for poisoning by the Horny Goat Weed plant. According to Sandratriniaina (2015), the bark treats high fever, and is used in traditional medicine to treat hypoglycemia. Decoctions from the roots can treat impotence, fatigue, colds, fever and flu.
In Vietnam, Mr. Ng.V. Nga said, “I heard that Baobab leaves have many medicinal uses, so I dried the leaves and boiled them to drink. I didn’t expect it to work. Due to genetic factors, even though Ngoc and I are only in our forties or fifties, our hair is already white like an old man’s, but after about 7-8 months of drinking water boiled with Baobab leaves, our hair has partially turned black.”
Ms. An (Mr. Ngoc's neighbor) said: She had irregular menstruation, but since drinking the Baobab leaf water that Mr. Ngoc gave her, her menstrual cycle has become more regular and she feels more comfortable.
However, the effects of Baobab leaves as mentioned above have not been scientifically verified.
Baobab tree is a valuable imported gene source with many benefits for life, can be planted in our country such as parks, office campuses to be ornamental plants, create shade, decorate the landscape. It can also be planted into a small-scale landscape forest, creating more attractive and interesting tourist spots.
Based on the experiences of African people, Vietnamese scientists should also research to find new medicines from this Baobab tree species.
From the trunk, leaves, to the fruit of the Baobab tree, all have uses to serve human life and cure diseases.
In Africa ( Malawi , Zimbabwe and the Sahel ), young Baobab leaves are rich in vitamin C, containing uronic acid, and are considered a vegetable in West Africa. In Nigeria , the leaves are locally known as kuka and are used to make kuka soup. The pulp of the fruit (after removing the seeds and fibers) is rich in vitamin C and B2, and can be made into a beverage or mixed with oatmeal or milk . The seeds are used primarily as a thickener for soups, but can also be fermented into a spice, or roasted for direct consumption, or crushed to extract oil . The trunk is also a source of fiber , dye and firewood. Young leaves, fruits, bark and seeds of the Baobab tree are also used as animal feed and fuel.
According to foreign documents, Baobab leaves can be used as medicine to treat diarrhea, fever, kidney and bladder diseases, asthma, fatigue, insect bites and allergies. Leaves and flowers are used to treat respiratory diseases, digestive disorders and eye inflammation. Seeds can treat stomach, kidney and joint diseases, and are used to treat tooth and gum inflammation. Fruit pulp, seeds and bark are considered antidotes for poisoning by the Horny Goat Weed plant. According to Sandratriniaina (2015), the bark treats high fever, and is used in traditional medicine to treat hypoglycemia. Decoctions from the roots can treat impotence, fatigue, colds, fever and flu.
In Vietnam, Mr. Ng.V. Nga said, “I heard that Baobab leaves have many medicinal uses, so I dried the leaves and boiled them to drink. I didn’t expect it to work. Due to genetic factors, even though Ngoc and I are only in our forties or fifties, our hair is already white like an old man’s, but after about 7-8 months of drinking water boiled with Baobab leaves, our hair has partially turned black.”
Ms. An (Mr. Ngoc's neighbor) said: She had irregular menstruation, but since drinking the Baobab leaf water that Mr. Ngoc gave her, her menstrual cycle has become more regular and she feels more comfortable.
However, the effects of Baobab leaves as mentioned above have not been scientifically verified.
Baobab tree is a valuable imported gene source with many benefits for life, can be planted in our country such as parks, office campuses to be ornamental plants, create shade, decorate the landscape. It can also be planted into a small-scale landscape forest, creating more attractive and interesting tourist spots.
Based on the experiences of African people, Vietnamese scientists should also research to find new medicines from this Baobab tree species.
Dr. Tran Cong Khanh
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