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5 plants worth knowing

Djibouti

Djibouti is one of the hottest and driest countries in the world – on its volcanic plains and in depressions such as Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa, usually less than 200 mm of rain falls a year, and sparse acacia scrub dominates. The exceptions are the Goda and Mabla mountains in the north, where fog and slightly higher rainfall have allowed the relict juniper forest of the Forêt du Day to survive, and the mangroves on the coast of the Gulf of Aden.

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

where it grows

  1. African juniper 1

    tree

    African juniper

    Juniperus procera

    Djibouti’s last forest – the old junipers of the Goda Mountains are a relic of a time when the climate of the Horn of Africa was much wetter.
  2. Bankoualé palm 2

    palm

    Bankoualé palm

    Livistona carinensis

    A rare fan palm found only in a few ravines in Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen – named after the Djiboutian oasis of Bankoualé.
  3. Umbrella thorn 3

    tree

    Umbrella thorn

    Vachellia tortilis

    The flat crowns of umbrella thorns offer almost the only shade on Djibouti’s scorching plains.
  4. Grey mangrove 4

    tree

    Grey mangrove

    Avicennia marina

    Mangroves growing in the salt water of the Gulf of Aden – a green refuge for Djibouti’s fish, birds and coral reefs.
  5. Toothbrush tree 5

    shrub

    Toothbrush tree

    Salvadora persica

    A shrub whose twigs have served as a natural toothbrush for centuries – in Djibouti people chew them every day.