Shea butter tree
Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows to 10-20 m tall. It has a thick trunk up to 4 m tall before branching. There are many branches and the crown is spreading. The branches are thick and they have many leaf scars. The bark is dark brown and thick and rough. It is chequered like a crocodile skin. The leaves are oblong and at the ends of branches. The leaves are 10-25 cm long. The tip is rounded and the leaf narrows to a long stalk. The leaf stalks are 10 cm long. The young leaves are reddish brown. The flowers are white and with a sweet scent. They occur in dense clusters in the axils of leaves. There are 8-10 sepals, petals and stamen. The fruit is egg shaped. It is about 4-6 cm long. The pulp is sweet and has one large seed embedded in it. The seed has a shiny brown coat and a long white scar on one side.

Seeds contain 45-60 % oil. This becomes solid at temperatures less than 32°C. The oil can be used for cooking and in soap and margarine.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is most common is savannah woodland where the rainfall is 1,000-3,000 mm a year. Trees will survive annual fires. They are also not damaged by termites.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

How it is used for food

The seed can be used for food. The fruit kernel is used for shea butter.

It is a major food in South Sudan.

Edible parts

Nuts, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Because the seedlings have a long tap root it is best to sow them direct. The fruit can be collected in heaps and the flesh allowed to rot off over 3-4 weeks then dried to collect the seeds for planting. Seed should be then sown as fresh as possible.

Trees take 30 years to mature. They can produce fruit in 15-25 years with good management. Shea butter is extracted from the seeds by roasting, grinding and then boiling the seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Ekunguru, Yaa, Yao

Synonyms

Butyrospermum niloticum Kotschy; Butyrospermum paradoxum subsp. niloticum (Kotschy) Hepper; Butyrospermum parkii subsp. niloticum (Kotschy) Hepper; Butyrospermum parkii var. niloticum (Kotschy) A. Chev.;