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8 plants worth knowing

Cameroon

Cameroon is sometimes called “Africa in miniature”: humid equatorial forests of the Congo Basin cover the south and east, the volcanic Mount Cameroon and the grassy Grassfields highlands rise in the west, the savannas of the Adamawa Plateau stretch across the centre, and the far north is already Sahelian steppe on the shores of Lake Chad. Such a wide range of climates makes the country’s flora one of the richest in Africa.

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

where it grows

  1. African cherry 1

    tree

    African cherry

    Prunus africana

    A mountain tree whose bark ends up in pharmacies around the world – for years Cameroon was its largest exporter.
  2. Cacao 2

    crop

    Cacao

    Theobroma cacao

    Cameroon is one of the world’s leading cocoa producers – beans from the forests of the south end up with European chocolate makers.
  3. Obeche 3

    tree

    Obeche

    Triplochiton scleroxylon

    Light, pale ayous wood is a Cameroonian export hit – among other things, it is used to make sauna benches.
  4. Abata kola 4

    tree

    Abata kola

    Cola acuminata

    Bitter kola nuts are shared at greetings, engagements and councils of elders in the highlands of western Cameroon.
  5. African baobab 5

    tree

    African baobab

    Adansonia digitata

    In Cameroon’s dry north, baobabs mark out villages and pastures – the leaves go into sauces and the fruit into drinks.
  6. Bitter leaf 6

    shrub

    Bitter leaf

    Vernonia amygdalina

    Its bitter leaves go into ndolé – a stew with peanuts and prawns regarded as Cameroon’s national dish.
  7. Safou 7

    tree

    Safou

    Dacryodes edulis

    Purple safou fruits, roasted over charcoal or boiled and eaten with maize or cassava, are Cameroon’s favourite rainy-season treat.
  8. Eru 8

    climber

    Eru

    Gnetum africanum

    Leaves of the forest climber eru, sliced into wafer-thin strips, are the basis of popular dishes in south-western and central Cameroon.