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Apple-ring acacia (Faidherbia albida)
Photo: Davidbena, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 4 countries tree symbol: Mali

Apple-ring acacia

Faidherbia albida

Family: Fabaceae

On our map this plant appears in 4 countries and ranks highest in: Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Malawi.

A large tree with pale grey bark, white thorns and small, bluish-green leaflets, often reaching 20 m in height. Unusually, it loses its leaves in the rainy season and turns green in the dry season, so it does not compete with crops for light. Its fallen leaves and pods enrich the soil, and its roots fix nitrogen from the air. Under the crowns of gao trees, millet and sorghum yields are markedly higher than in open fields, and the orange, twisted pods are valuable fodder in the dry season.

Description from: Niger.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Niger no. 1 of 8 native

    In the Maradi and Zinder regions, since the 1980s farmers have protected trees regrowing from stumps on a massive scale instead of cutting them down – thanks to this method, known as farmer-managed natural regeneration, Niger has gained…

  2. Mali no. 3 of 8 native

    Symbol tree of the city of Ségou

    The balanzan is so important to the Ségou region that the city is known as the “city of 4,444 balanzans”, and the trees shade its streets and the banks of the Niger.

  3. Burkina Faso no. 4 of 5 native

    On the Mossi Plateau and elsewhere in Burkina Faso, farmers have protected young Faidherbia trees in their fields for generations, creating distinctive agroforestry parklands.

  4. Malawi no. 5 of 5 native

    For generations Malawian farmers have spared the msangu in their fields, and conservation agriculture programmes promote it as a natural fertiliser – maize yields beneath its crown are markedly higher.