Camel's foot tree, monkey bread
Bauhinia thonningii

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Bauhinia thonningii is an evergreen Tree growing to 5 m (16ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. The plant is not self-fertile. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Woodland, wooded grassland and bushland, at elevations from sea level to 1,830 metres.

Tropical Africa - widespread from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia and Kenya, south to Angola, Botswana, northern S. Africa, Swaziland.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Central African Republic; Gambia; Gabon; Ethiopia; Eritrea; Côte d'Ivoire; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; South Africa; Chad; Guinea-Bissau; Cameroon; Burundi; Burkina Faso; Botswana; Benin; Angola; South Sudan; Congo; Niger; Zambia; Yemen; Uganda; Togo; Tanzania, United Republic of; Sierra Leone; Senegal; Ghana; Nigeria; Guinea; Namibia; Mozambique; Mali; Malawi; Kenya; Zimbabwe; Rwanda; Sudan

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. The pulp surrounding the seed is eaten, it has a sweet flavour and is eaten mainly by children and travellers. The brown pod is cracked open, the seeds removed, and the pulp eaten as a snack or as emergency food. It is normally only eaten in small amounts. The fruits are collected in large quantities during famine periods. They are then pounded and the powder soaked in water, the liquid stirred and drunk. The flat, brown, woody pods are 15 - 20cm long. They persist on the tree but eventually decay on the ground to free the pea-sized seeds. Tender young leaves - raw or cooked. Chewed to relieve thirst. The leaves are very occasionally eaten as a cooked vegetable. The leaves are sometimes cooked in water, then the water is used for cooking millet. Carbon Farming - Staple Crop: balanced carb.

Oil: Oil

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.

Medicine

Rating: 2

Tender leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed to treat stomach-ache, coughs and snakebite. The ash obtained from burnt leaves is rubbed into snakebite wounds after scarification in order to hasten healing. The leaves are combined with those of mpandanjobvu and the liquid used to relieve the inflammation from sore eyes. The roots are used to treat prolonged menstruation, haemorrhage and miscarriage in women and also for the treatment of coughs, colds, body pain and STDs. An infusion of the root, combined with the root of the wild cow pea (Vigna sp.), is said to be a contraceptive. It is drunk for seven consecutive days during which time no intercourse is allowed. An infusion of the bark is used to treat coughs, colds, chest pains and snakebite. An infusion of the bark is used for the cure of an infection of the gums called ciseye.

Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.

Contraceptive: Prevents fertilization occurring in females.

Mouthwash: Treats problems such as mouth ulcers.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: A pioneer species within its native area, where it tends to colonize clearings and fallows. Since it is a legume, and fixes atmospheric nitrogen, it might be a useful species to use when restoring woodland or setting up a woodland garden. A deep rooting species that produces considerable amounts of leaf litter, it can be used in soil protection initiatives. The use of the leaf litter as a mulch enhances soil fertility because the leaves decompose slowly. The tree competes very little with maize if left in fields and pollarded to reduce shade. Other Uses A fibre from the inner bark is used to make string, ropes and cloth. A red-brown dye can be obtained from the macerated bark. A blue dye can be obtained from the seeds and pods. A black dye is obtained from the roasted seed. The bark contains up to 18% tannins. The roots are a source of tannins. The inner bark is said to contain a gum that sweels in water and so can be used for caulking boats etc. The unripe seedpods are used as a soap substitute. The ashes of the plant are used for making soap. The seeds contain oil. No more information is given. The heartwood is pinkish to dark brown; the sapwood is light brown. The wood is straight-grained. It is used for poles, grain mortars, tool handles, spoons and bedsteads. The wood is used for fuel. Carbon Farming - Agroforestry Services: nitrogen. Fodder: pod.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.

Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Pioneer: Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.

Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

Soil reclamation: Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Waterproofing: Does what it says. See also Pitch and Oil.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.

Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Climate: tropical. Humidity: semi-arid to humid. A plant of the semi-arid to moist tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,850 metres. It is found in areas where the mean annual temperature can be around 20°c, and the mean annual rainfall is in the range 600 - 1,500mm. Succeeds on a variety of soils. Likes a rich, alluvial soil. Heavy clayey soils or medium loamy soils are preferred. The tree usually yields heavy crops of seedpods. The plant has deep roots and can sucker freely. It also responds well to coppicing and pollarding. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard.

Propagating it: Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Suckers.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Camel's foot, Rhodesian bauhinia, wild bauhinia, Ihabahaba (Ndebele), monkey bread (English); Kameelspoor (Afrikaans); niama, niamia (Bambara); klo (Ewe); barke, barkehi (Fulani); kalgo, kargo, chanchali (Hausa); mokgoropo (North Sotho); mutukutu (Shona); mukolokote (Venda), Mubaba (Shona) Muhuku (Shona) Musakasa (Shona) Musekesa (Shona) Mutukutu (Shona)

Synonyms

Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redh.

Camel's foot tree, monkey bread Bauhinia thonningii