The Baobab is the most iconic tree in South Africa, known for its extremely wide trunk that stands very stoutly in the ground. The Baobab has a crown of branches that spread widely outwards. An African legend is synonymous with this tree; which in short goes that the child of an African god pulled this tree out of the ground and the stuck the tree back into the ground but upside down. This accounts for the root like appearance of the branches the tree sports. The Baobab is an impressive tree that grows up to 25m and has an astounding longevity, with some trees being about 4 000 yars old.
The Knob thorn, or Acacia, is the third most common tree in the Kruger National Park, passed only by the Mopani and Red Bushwillow. The Acacia is a medium sized tree that has a wide spreading crown and the tree can reach a height of 16m. This tree is at its most beautiful during summer, when its beautiful bright yellow flowers start to bloom. The acacia is covered in spiked knobs that grow darker during the winter months. Acacia wood is very heavy wood and the trees are Drought resistant but is sensitive to frost.
Most of the beautiful wooden sculptures, bowls and other wooden trinkets are made out of the wood from the Kiaat, or Wild Teak. The Kiaat is a tree that comes in a very limited number of areas in te Kruger National park and are mostly found in the Pretoriuskop area because of the deep, sandy soil. The Kiaat is a slow growing tree and is much loved by elephants. The wood of a Kiaat is used commonly and is popular for the manufacturing of furniture as it is easy to handle and polishes very nicely. The Kiaat is known for having beautiful yellow flowers that bloom late summer.
The Red Bushwillow is a very popular tree for browsers as it is a staple in most of their diets. Found all throughout the Kruger National Park, these small trees are the second most common trees in the Kruger, bested by the Mopani. The tree’s leaves are palpable but many animals avoid eating the seed of the tree as they are mildly poisonous and can actually cause prolonged hiccups. The tree gets its name from the colour its leaves turn during winter, reddish brown. This tree is also very drought resistant.