9 of the Oldest Trees in Africa

Even the most famously long-lived species usually max out at a few centuries old. However, about 25 percent of trees triple and sometimes quadruple the average life expectancy of their species. What are 9 of the oldest trees in Africa?  

9 of the Oldest Trees in Africa

African baobabs (Adansonia digitata) are the oldest trees in Africa. These trees are huge succulents and they’re endemic to Africa’s savannahs. On those savannahs, they’re only found between the latitudes of 16 degrees north and 26 degrees south.

They’re the longest-lived trees on the African continent with numerous examples over a millennium old. Baobabs have stout trucks that they use to store water when available. These trees are the largest and oldest extant flowering plants on earth.

Baobabs are not single-stemmed trees. They start with just one stem but over the years more develop as the older segments die. All of the ancient trees no longer have extant original stems.

The multiple stems grow out of one common base which remains the same throughout the life of the tree. This allows scientists to count the rings of the base to determine the tree’s age.

In rural areas, baobabs are used as a communal gathering place in villages. The trees are sometimes hollowed out and used as a dwelling. Known establishments in baobab trees include post offices, storage sheds, pubs, and jails.

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9. Sunland Baobab: 1060 Years Old

The Sunland Baobab is located in South Africa by Modjadjiskloof at Sunland Farm in Limpopo Province. It’s believed to be around 1060 years old though it may be much older.

Baobabs naturally create a cavity in their trunks as different segments of the tree died over the centuries. On this specific tree, the cavity was so large that there used to be a bar inside that accommodated 15 people. The bar was closed in 2017 after the trunk split.

8. Chishakwe Big Tree: 1092 Years Old

The Chishakwe Big Tree is a baobab in Zimbabwe at the Savé Valley Conservancy. It’s north of Chishakwe Ranch. This part of the conservancy is near Chiredzi, Masvingo.

In recent history, the area that is now the Savé Valley Conservancy was devastated by cattle farming which destroyed the local ecosystems. In 1991, local landowners joined together and began a conservation effort that is now one of the largest in the world. There are around 24 participating farms today.

Protected species that live within the conservancy include roan antelope, sable antelope, painted dogs, bush pigs, spotted hyenas, elephants, impala, baboons, zebras, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, vervet monkeys, and rhinoceroses.

7. Mokore Giant Baobab: 1098 Years Old

The Mokore Giant Baobab is a bit over 75 feet tall and its girth is more than that. This baobab lives in the Savé Valley Conservancy by Moroke Ranch in the District of Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe.

6. Sagole Baobab: 1213 Years Old

The Sagole Baobab is South Africa’s largest baobab tree. It takes up to 20 people holding hands to make a complete circle around the trunk. It costs 30 ZAR or under 2 dollars USD to see the tree and it is near Tshipise located in Vendaland in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

5. Matendere Big Baobab: 1502 Years Old

This is another baobab from Masvingo, Zimbabwe in the Savé Valley Conservancy. This one is at the Matendere Ranch and it’s over 70 feet tall. It also has a girth of over 80 feet.

4. Humani Bedford Old Baobab: 1573 Years Old

Zimbabwe’s Savé Valley Conservancy at Humani Ranch in the Bedford Block hosts the Humani Bedford Old Baobab that’s around 60 feet tall. Some scientists, based on the direction that the stems are growing, think the tree may be as old as 1800 years which is a few hundred years older than its more commonly accepted age.

3. Glencoe Baobab: 1845 Years Old

The Glencoe baobab in South Africa is one of the oldest trees on the planet. It has various stems that are partially fused with each stem having a different age.

It used to be enormous and while it’s still very large, it split and collapsed in 2009 and 2017. Despite this, it’s still alive.

2. Livingstone Tree: 1973 Years Old

This Livingstone Tree is located in Zimbabwe and it’s one of the oldest trees in the country though its authenticity is contested. It’s along Zambezi Dr. in Victoria Falls and the tree is around 73 feet tall.

David Livingstone was the first European to explore Victoria Falls. He carved his name into this ancient baobab which is why it’s known as the Livingstone Tree. Livingstone did this in the mid-1850s.

These initials turned into a sightseeing stop for European explorers who had come to Victoria Falls in the subsequent decades. By the early 1900s, the initials were obscured because the tree healed the cuts.

1. Dorsland Baobab: 2100 Years Old

The Dorsland Baobab is located toward the south of Khaudum National Park in Namibia. It’s also known as the Dorsland Tree and the Dorsland Grootboom. The latter is Afrikaans for “Big Thirsty Tree.”

This tree was almost 100 feet around and 50 feet tall when it fell over. Despite falling, it’s still alive and growing. Trees as old as the Dorsland Baobab grow nearby and are dying so there is a worry that it is in danger.

There are old carvings in the tree. The Dorsland trekkers from South Africa that were exploring the region camped near the tree in 1883. They carved the year into the tree during their stay.

Germany colonized Namibia from 1884 to 1890. German soldiers that came near the tree in 1891 carved the year and a few names into the tree. They did this since they knew the trekkers had passed by almost a decade earlier.

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