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5 plants worth knowing

Somalia

Somalia has the longest coastline in mainland Africa, and its interior consists mostly of hot, semi-arid plains covered in thorny scrub of acacias and myrrh trees (Commiphora). In the north, in the mountains above the Gulf of Aden, frankincense trees grow, while in the south the country’s only two permanent rivers – the Juba and the Shabelle – form fertile valleys where Somalia’s farming is concentrated.

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

where it grows

  1. Boswellia frereana 1

    tree

    Boswellia frereana

    Boswellia frereana

    A Somali frankincense tree that grows glued to bare rock – its maydi resin goes to churches and perfumers around the world.
  2. Myrrh 2

    shrub

    Myrrh

    Commiphora myrrha

    A thorny shrub of fragrant myrrh – the same myrrh that, according to the Gospel, the Magi offered to Jesus.
  3. Yeheb 3

    shrub

    Yeheb

    Cordeauxia edulis

    A desert shrub whose sweet nuts saved nomads from hunger – it grows only in Somalia and neighbouring Ethiopia.
  4. Banana 4

    crop

    Banana

    Musa acuminata

    Bananas from the Shabelle Valley were for decades the pride of Somali exports – in Italy they were famed for their exceptional sweetness.
  5. Sorghum 5

    crop

    Sorghum

    Sorghum bicolor

    A drought-hardy cereal that feeds the farmers between the Juba and the Shabelle – the Bay region is Somalia’s “sorghum granary”.