AFRICAN BAOBAB TREES in and around Hyderabad

                     Baobab Trees in Chengicherla Forest Block

The City of Hyderabad also have at least half a dozen locations where magnificent Baobab trees stand witnessing the glory of past and also the interest of Arabian traders who introduced these tress in the then Hyderabad State which was also having part of Maharashtra under it. The scientific name of this tree is Adansonia digitata,Linn and it is also known as Monkey- Bread Tree. A few locations where we can see these trees are near Golconda fort, Vansthalipuram, Attapur ,Near Chappel Road, and Uppal in Chengicherla Reserve Forests.

                       Baobab Tree near Golconda Fort

There are 6 trees existing in Chengicherla Reserve Forest of Hyderabad Forest division, which provide a magnificent view of the site. One of the trees is having largest girth of 12.80 Meters ( 42 feet). There is a reference of this tree in M.S. Khan’s FOREST FLORA OF HYDERABAD STATE (1951) which says “that the largest tree in Aurangabad near the Badkal Darwaza approaches very nearly to the 40 feet girth size .”

Is this only way to express our feelings?

The Baobab tree located in the premises of Golconda Fort is having girth is 27.40 metres (89 feet). There are various stories centered around this Baobab tree of Golconda Fort and one of the famous stories is related to its cave which helped some 40 notorious thieves to hide themselves some 400 years ago. In fact while visiting this tree I found few local youth sitting on the branches and one of them even entered inside the cave formed in between the branches .

                                          Quite impressive tree

However African Baobab tree in Limpopo Province, South Africa, has a circumference of 47 metres (150 ft) and considered the largest living example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adansonia
http://www.baobab-solutions.com/the_baobab.htm