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8 plants worth knowing

Botswana

About 70% of Botswana is covered by the sands of the Kalahari, with dry shrub savanna, acacias and grasses, while mopane woodland stretches across the north. The exceptions are the Okavango Delta – a vast inland delta with a maze of papyrus-choked channels, palm-studded islands and riverside forests – and the Makgadikgadi salt pans, on whose edges the famous baobabs stand.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. African baobab 1

    tree

    African baobab

    Adansonia digitata

    Baines’ Baobabs on the edge of the white Nxai Pan are among Africa’s most famous landscapes, immortalised by a 19th-century painter.
  2. Papyrus 2

    aquatic plant

    Papyrus

    Cyperus papyrus

    Walls of papyrus several metres high line the channels of the Okavango Delta, explored by traditional mokoro dugout canoes.
  3. Sorghum 3

    crop · Sorghum ear on the coat of arms of Botswana

    Sorghum

    Sorghum bicolor

    One of the zebras on Botswana’s coat of arms holds an ear of sorghum – the traditional grain behind the country’s porridge and beer.
  4. Devil’s claw 4

    perennial

    Devil’s claw

    Harpagophytum procumbens

    The spiny fruits of devil’s claw lodge in animals’ hooves, while its Kalahari tubers end up in pharmacies all over the world.
  5. Makalani palm 5

    palm

    Makalani palm

    Hyphaene petersiana

    Women from around the Okavango Delta weave Botswana’s famous geometric-patterned baskets from the leaves of the mokolwane palm.
  6. Mopane 6

    tree

    Mopane

    Colophospermum mopane

    Mophane woodland covers Botswana’s north and east – the phane caterpillars gathered there are a delicacy and a source of income for many rural families.
  7. Camel thorn 7

    tree

    Camel thorn

    Vachellia erioloba

    With its umbrella-shaped crown, the camel thorn is the tree of the Kalahari – it gives shade, fodder for animals and some of the region’s best firewood.
  8. Marula 8

    tree

    Marula

    Sclerocarya birrea

    The morula is one of Botswana’s most valued trees – its fruit is made into drinks and jams, and its seeds into cosmetic oil.