The scientific name of this plant of African origin is Adansonia digitata, but it is popularly known as the baobab or monkey breadfruit. These trees can reach up to 25 meters high, however the circumference of their trunk can exceed 40 meters.

The baobab tree has 8 known species, of which there is one in Africa, one in Australia and the other 6 in Madagascar. This is one of the reasons why the baobab is the national tree of Madagascar.

This peculiar tree only has leaves 4 months in the year, the rest of the time it photosynthesizes through a thin layer of cellular tissue that it has on the trunk. It is the largest succulent that exists, as it can store up to 120,000 liters of water in its trunk.

A very peculiar feature of this tree is the flowers. It blooms for the first time after 20 years. Its flowers open at dusk and are pollinated by bats and some nocturnal insects attracted by the sweet and abundant nectar, hence they have a ghoulish odor. They last less than 12 hours, because at dawn they close never to open again.

Almost everything can be used from this tree. With its leaves you can make soups, they contain a large amount of minerals and are also used in pharmacology, for the manufacture of creams and infusions. Paper is made from the bark, and some native tribes make ropes from it. Its fruit is an exquisite food, with which pasta is made and a very refreshing drink is made. Its seeds are also used, because roasted, they are a substitute for coffee, and an oil that is used both for cooking and for cosmetic uses is extracted from fresh seeds, since it has the characteristic of hydrating and healing the skin.