List of African Savanna Trees

The African savanna is a patchwork of grass, seasonal waterholes and scattered trees that set the rhythm for wildlife and rural life across the continent. Trees here influence shade, forage and local economies, and many species are easy to miss if you only look at the open grass.

There are 37 African Savanna Trees, ranging from African mahogany to Zambezi teak. For each, the data are organized as Scientific name,Range,Height (m); you’ll find below.

How can I tell similar savanna tree species apart in the field?

Look at a few quick features: leaf shape and size, bark texture, seed pods or fruit, and overall silhouette. Note habitat and location (range is often diagnostic), take a photo of leaves and bark, and compare to trusted field guides or the Scientific name column in the list to confirm identification.

Which savanna trees provide the most benefit to wildlife and local communities?

Species that offer fruit, nectar, or pods (and dense shade) are most valuable—animals use them for food and shelter, while people rely on them for timber, medicine and fodder. The list highlights range and Height (m) so you can spot which trees are likely to be accessible and useful near you.

African Savanna Trees

Images and Descriptions

Umbrella thorn

Flat‑topped canopy, small pinnate leaves and paired straight thorns make this legume easy to ID. Fixes nitrogen, offers shade and browse for wildlife, used for fuelwood, charcoal and traditional medicine; tolerant of drought and grazing.

Sweet thorn

Broad-crowned tree with grey bark, pinnate leaves and straight thorns; fragrant creamy-yellow blossoms and pods. Important for livestock browse, apicultural nectar source, medicinal uses and hard timber; colonizes disturbed soils and is common in bushveld and savanna margins.

Mopane

Distinctive butterfly-shaped leaflets and fire-resistant coppicing make mopane dominant in hot lowveld. Provides crucial forage for mopane moth caterpillars, fuelwood and strong timber, supports wildlife, and shapes a characteristic mono-dominant woodland in clay soils.

Baobab

Massive trunk, smooth grey bark and seasonal palmate leaves mark the iconic baobab. Stores water in trunk, produces edible fruit rich in vitamin C; cultural significance, pollinated by bats and bees, some populations face pressure from land use and climate change.

Marula

Rounded tree with pinnate leaves and fragrant cream flowers; produces nutrient-rich fruits eaten by people and elephants. Valued for traditional beer, oil and wildlife forage, resilient to dry conditions and a culturally and economically important savanna species.

Sausage tree

Notable for its long sausage-like fruits and large bell-shaped flowers. Grows along rivers and open woodlands, attracts pollinators and bats, fruits used in traditional medicine and fermented beverages; ornamental value and shade provider in savanna landscapes.

Fever tree

Bright yellow‑green smooth bark and upright growth identify the fever tree near swampy ground. Forms open stands in wet savannas, provides browse and nesting sites, used locally for timber and traditional remedies; culturally prominent in East African landscapes.

Gum arabic tree

Small, thorny legume with pinnate leaves and sweetly scented flowers, known for exuding gum arabic used in food and industry. Drought-tolerant, fixes nitrogen, important for pastoralists and agroforestry across Sahelian savannas.

Winter thorn

Deciduous in rainy season and leafing during dry months, unique reverse phenology. Deep-rooted, fixes nitrogen and improves soil fertility, used in agroforestry (fertilizer tree), livestock fodder and provides shade and stabilizing presence in dry savannas.

Leadwood

Heavy, dense timber and rough bark distinguish leadwood. Slow‑growing, long‑lived tree of rocky and gravelly soils that provides excellent fire-resistant shade and durable wood for local use; conservation concern where overharvested.

Silver cluster-leaf

Silvery underside to leaves and flat clusters of small fruits make this a recognisable savanna tree. Pioneer species on disturbed ground, provides browse, fuelwood and traditional medicines; tolerates drought and often forms open woodland.

Red bushwillow

Rounded crown, yellow-orange to red autumn hues and four-winged fruits characterise this tree. Common browse plant for browsers, used for fuelwood and poles, thrives on rocky slopes and edge habitats in mixed savanna woodlands.

Kiaat (Bloodwood)

A tall, spreading tree with pinnate leaves and distinctively patterned reddish timber prized for furniture. Produces papery seed pods, supports nectar-feeding insects, culturally valuable but overexploited in parts of its range.

Desert date

Spiny, drought-tolerant tree with oval edible fruits and bitter seeds. Important forage and fodder, source of oil and traditional medicines; tolerates saline and arid soils, central in subsistence economies across dry African savannas.

Shepherd’s tree

Deep-rooted, rough-barked tree with small glossy leaves; often the lone shade tree in Kalahari dunes. Provides critical shade and forage, stores water, used medicinally and historically valued by herders for sheltering stock and people.

Camelthorn

Gnarled branches, long pods and paired thorns define the camelthorn. Important for browsing, provides nesting for sociable weaver birds, produces durable hardwood used for fencing and fuel; iconic species of arid savanna landscapes.

Velvet bushwillow

Soft, velvety leaves and yellow-orange flowers with hairy fruits make this recognizable. Provides browse for browsers, medicinal bark and wood for fuel; common in mixed savannas and on sandy soils.

Jackalberry

Dense crown, dark glossy leaves and small edible fruits favored by animals and people. Produces hard, dark timber and provides important shade and fruit resources along rivers and floodplains in savanna landscapes.

Buffalo thorn

Spiny, multi-stemmed tree with pale bark and oval leaves; bears yellow to red fruits eaten by birds and mammals. Used in traditional medicine, as a boundary marker, and provides dense thorny shelter for wildlife.

Jacket plum

Small to medium tree with glossy leaves and orange edible fruits called jacket plums. Provides forage, firewood and traditional medicines; common in open woodland and savanna margins, attractive to birds and small mammals.

Boer bean

Showy deep-red pea‑like flowers attract nectar-feeding birds and insects. Broad-crowned, nitrogen-fixing legume used for shade, live fencing and traditional medicine; valuable in agroforestry and as a popular shade tree.

Coral tree

Striking red-orange pea-shaped flowers and thorny branches identify this legume. Fixes nitrogen, offers pollen and nectar for birds, used as living fence, traditional medicine and occasional timber; often found along seasonal rivers.

Waterberry

Thick glossy leaves, white fragrant flowers and edible purple berries characterize this riverine tree. Prefers moist ground along streams and floodplains, provides shade, fruit for people and wildlife, and good timber for carving.

Bird plum

Small to medium tree with glossy leaves and clusters of small fruits. Grows along riverbanks and in mixed savanna, supports birdlife and traditional medicine uses; wood used for poles and crafting.

Ochna

Known for smooth, peeling bark and bright yellow flowers followed by showy black fruits with orange sepals. Small attractive tree in rocky savannas, used ornamentally and traditionally for medicines; drought-tolerant and often found on granite outcrops.

Sisalwood? Markhamia lutea

Tall, straight tree with pinnate leaves and clusters of pale yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. Provides ornamental shade, nectar for pollinators and useful timber; common along roadsides and in open savanna, tolerant of seasonal dry spells.

Zambezi teak

Dominant in Kalahari sand savannas with dense hardwood, rough bark and pinnate leaves. Produces durable timber, supports specialized wildlife and forms near-monodominant stands on sandy soils; conservation concern where logged.

Msasa (miombo)

Deciduous canopy tree with compound leaves and spring flowers; defines miombo woodlands. Provides important timber, fuelwood, non‑timber products and habitat for wildlife; regenerates after fire and supports shifting cultivation systems.

Mnondo

Tall, straight tree with pinnate leaves and clusters of cream flowers. A dominant miombo species supplying timber, charcoal and traditional uses; crucial for large-scale savanna woodland ecology and seasonal food resources for herbivores.

African white karee

Smooth, pale bark and palmately compound leaves identify this drought-hardy tree on rocky slopes and dry riverbeds. Produces small pods, used for shade, traditional remedies and occasionally timber; adapted to arid savanna environments.

Monkey orange

Rugged trunk, glossy leaves and large orange edible fruits prized by people and animals. Fruit-bearing tree provides seasonal food, traditional medicine and dense wood for local uses; common in mixed savanna and woodland.

African mahogany

Large hardwood tree with pinnate leaves and pods bearing winged seeds. Timber highly valued for furniture and boatbuilding; overharvesting threatens local populations, while the tree supports big fauna and is culturally important.

Sakalako (gorom fruit)

Small fruit tree producing sweet edible yellow-orange fruits important in local diets. Multi‑stemmed, thornless shrub-like tree used for food, traditional medicine and shade; common in dry savanna gardens and wild stands.

Grewia

Small tree or large shrub with flaky bark and sweet edible fruit. Provides browse for livestock and wildlife, traditional medicinal uses and seasonal fruit for people; often forms thickets in disturbed savanna areas.

Sand plum

Small tree with simple leaves and reddish edible but tart fruits; often found on sandy soils and disturbed sites. Used for oil extraction, traditional medicine and as a pioneer species in degraded savanna landscapes.

Resin tree

Small thorny tree with papery bark and aromatic resins. Leaves clustered on spines, drought-resistant; provides browse for livestock, frankincense-like resin used medicinally and culturally, common in dry savannas and acacia‑dominant woodlands.

African rosewood

Deciduous legume with pinnate leaves and orange-yellow flowers; prized for fragrant, durable timber used in furniture and musical instruments. Fruit and foliage browsed by animals; overexploited in parts of West Africa with conservation concerns.

Other African Savanna Types