The baobab fruit pod consists of a woody yellow-green shell with a velvet-like exterior coating, concealing an off-white powdery fruit pulp that smothers the fruit’s black seeds. Once ripe, the fruit pods leave their stems, and fall to the ground, as though directly coming from the Gods. The shell can safeguard the freshness of the pulp for up to three years – acting as a store of food during times of famine.

The tree’s fleshy trunk and branches are renowned for preparing for the arduous dry season by storing large volumes of water, which is captured during the rainy season. Holding an impressive 100,000 litres of water per tree, indigenous communities drill holes in the stem of the tree to tap into this reservoir. The water is also used to nourish baobab pods as fruition commences; yet amazingly, the tree then naturally dehydrates the pods prior to them becoming ripe, and water is recycled back into the tree.