List of Trees of Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s landscapes — from cool highland forests to dry lowland scrub — support a broad array of tree species that matter for habitats, agriculture, and local culture. This list gathers species you might see on mountain slopes, riverine corridors, and around towns.

There are 90 Trees of Ethiopia, ranging from Abyssinian Acacia to Zigba. For each species the list shows Scientific name, Height (m), and Native status; you’ll find below.

How can I tell which species in the list are native versus introduced?

The “Native status” column flags whether a species is native, endemic, or introduced, but check distribution notes and local floras for context—some species are naturalized in parts of Ethiopia. For planting or research, cross-reference with regional field guides or herbarium records to confirm local provenance.

Can I use this list to choose trees for planting in different Ethiopian regions?

Yes — the Scientific name and Height (m) help narrow candidates for site conditions, and the Native status points toward species better suited to local ecosystems. Still consult local extension services for soil, rainfall, and elevation-specific advice before planting.

Trees of Ethiopia

Images and Descriptions

African Pencil Cedar

Africa’s only native juniper, forming dry Afromontane forests in the highlands. Its aromatic, durable wood is highly valued for construction and pencils, but this has led to over-exploitation and conservation concerns across its range in Ethiopia.

Podo

A large, slow-growing conifer native to the Afromontane forests of Ethiopia. Known locally as ‘Zigba’, its high-quality, yellow timber is prized for furniture and construction, making sustainable harvesting and conservation a priority for this majestic tree.

Kosso

A distinctive, umbrella-shaped tree of the Afromontane forests. It’s famous for its drooping flower clusters, from which a traditional medicine called Kosso is derived to treat tapeworm infections, though it must be used with caution.

African Wild Olive

A hardy, drought-resistant tree common in dry evergreen forests and scrubland. It has a gnarled trunk and produces small, edible but bitter fruits. Its hard, beautifully grained wood is used for carving, furniture, and high-quality charcoal.

Large-leafed Cordia

A widespread deciduous tree with large, heart-shaped leaves and showy white flowers. Its lightweight, durable timber is excellent for furniture, beehives, and mortars. It’s often left standing in farmland for shade and its other benefits.

Abyssinian Acacia

A classic flat-topped acacia, iconic in the Ethiopian highlands. It provides light shade, improves soil fertility, and is a source of fodder and firewood. Its presence often indicates degraded forest areas where it pioneers regrowth.

Red Hot Poker Tree

A striking deciduous tree known for its brilliant red, claw-like flowers that appear on bare branches. It grows in woodlands and grasslands and has corky, thorny bark. The wood is soft and various parts of the tree have medicinal uses.

Desert Date

A spiny, incredibly resilient tree of arid and semi-arid lands. Every part of the tree is useful: its fruit (Lalob) is edible, the seeds produce oil, the leaves are fodder, and its wood is used for fuel and tools.

Sycamore Fig

A large, spreading fig tree often found near water sources. It produces edible figs directly on its trunk and branches. Historically significant in the Middle East and Africa, it provides deep shade and is considered sacred by some communities.

Birbira

A tree found only in the Ethiopian highlands, often used as a shade tree for coffee. Its seeds, while poisonous, have been traditionally used to stun fish. The tree has beautiful purplish flowers and is important in local agroforestry systems.

African Moringa

Known as the “cabbage tree,” this fast-growing, drought-resistant tree is a vital food source in southern Ethiopia. Its nutritious leaves are cooked like cabbage, and its seeds can be used to purify water. It is a key species for food security.

Frankincense Tree

A key species of the dry woodlands in northern Ethiopia. This tree is the source of frankincense, a fragrant resin harvested by making incisions in the bark. It has been a major trade commodity for thousands of years.

Cape Ash

A large, handsome evergreen tree of the moist highland forests. It produces a high-quality, light-colored timber resembling ash, used for furniture and construction. Its small, reddish fruits are eaten by birds and monkeys, aiding in seed dispersal.

Wanza

A large forest tree found in western and southern Ethiopia. It yields a strong, durable timber used for heavy construction and furniture. The tree is a significant component of the humid Afromontane and transitional rainforests.

Gabal Elba Dragon Tree

A striking, slow-growing tree with a thick trunk and a crown of sword-like leaves, found in dry, rocky areas. It’s a close relative of the Socotra dragon tree and produces a red resin known as “dragon’s blood.”

Coffee

The origin of the world’s most popular coffee, this small tree grows wild in the understory of highland forests in southwestern Ethiopia. Its berries are harvested to produce Arabica coffee beans, the cornerstone of Ethiopia’s economy.

Weeping Wattle

A small to medium-sized deciduous tree with bright yellow, fragrant flowers and feathery leaves. It is common in savanna woodlands and provides good shade for livestock. The wood is used for fuel and light construction.

African Holly

An evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests, often along rivers and streams. It has smooth grey bark and glossy green leaves. The wood is light-colored and fine-grained, suitable for carving and furniture, though not widely exploited.

False Banana

While not a true tree (it’s a massive herbaceous perennial), it functions as one in agroecosystems and is a crucial food staple in southern Ethiopia. The starchy stem and corm are processed into food, supporting millions of people.

False Olive

A small, fast-growing tree or large shrub found at high altitudes. It has fragrant, orange-yellow flowers that attract insects and birds. It’s often used for firewood and as a hedge plant in rural areas.

White Stinkwood

A common, fast-growing deciduous tree found in a wide range of habitats, from forests to riverbanks. It has smooth, pale bark and is a popular shade tree. Its wood is tough and used for tool handles and furniture.

African Cabbage Tree

A distinctive tree of the wet highland forests, often starting life as an epiphyte on other trees. It has large, compound leaves resembling an umbrella and is an important source of nectar for bees, yielding high-quality honey.

Zigba

A tall conifer closely related to Podo, found in the highland forests. Its straight trunk yields valuable, easily worked timber used for construction, flooring, and furniture. It is an important component of Ethiopia’s remaining natural forests.

Forest Dombeya

A large tree of the moist Afromontane forests, known for its beautiful, dense clusters of white or pinkish flowers that are a major source of nectar for honey production. The bark provides strong fiber for making rope.

African Juniper

A species of juniper found in the drier mountains of Ethiopia, closely related to the Greek Juniper. It provides valuable timber and firewood but is often found in less accessible, rocky areas compared to *Juniperus procera*.

Bissana

A widespread, fast-growing pioneer tree in secondary forests and disturbed areas. It has large, heart-shaped leaves and is easily recognized by its strong scent. It has many traditional medicinal uses and is good for firewood.

Flat-top Acacia

The quintessential umbrella-thorn acacia of African savannas, well-adapted to arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Its pods and leaves are vital fodder for livestock and wildlife, and its wood is used for fuel and charcoal.

Broad-leaved Croton

A large, fast-growing tree common in highland forests and as a shade tree on farms. Its nuts yield a high-quality oil that can be used for soap, varnish, and potentially as a biofuel, making it a promising agroforestry species.

Abyssinian Rose

Africa’s only native rose, this species often grows as a climbing shrub but can form a small, scrambling tree. It’s found in the highlands and is known for its fragrant white flowers and thorny stems.

Myrrh Tree

A small, thorny tree of the arid Somali-Masai scrublands in eastern and southern Ethiopia. It yields the famous myrrh, an aromatic resin collected from its bark that has been used for incense, perfume, and medicine since ancient times.

Wild Date Palm

A clumping palm tree that grows in riverine and swampy areas. It produces edible, though not very fleshy, dates. The leaves are used for weaving mats, baskets, and thatching, making it a useful resource for local communities.

Egyptian Mimosa

A thorny tree common in riverine woodlands and seasonally flooded areas. Its pods are rich in tannins, used for tanning leather. It also provides good quality firewood, charcoal, and fodder for goats and camels.

Sickle Bush

A small, spiny tree that often forms dense thickets in savanna and woodland areas. It is known for its bicolored, lantern-like flowers (pink and yellow). While a good source of firewood, it can become an invasive encroacher on rangelands.

African Dogwood

A small tree or shrub whose leaves and stems, known as ‘Gesho’, are essential for brewing traditional Ethiopian beverages like ‘tella’ (beer) and ‘tej’ (honey wine). It is widely cultivated in home gardens for this purpose.

African Teak

A giant, valuable timber tree found in the lowland forests of western Ethiopia. Its durable, insect-resistant wood (known as Iroko) is highly sought after internationally, which has led to severe overharvesting and depletion of wild populations.

Aningeria

One of the tallest trees in the Afromontane rainforests of southwestern Ethiopia. It provides a valuable light hardwood timber. Its buttressed trunk and emergent crown make it a keystone species in the forest canopy.

Sausage Tree

A distinctive tree of riverine and savanna woodlands, famous for its large, sausage-shaped fruits that hang from long stalks. While the fruit is poisonous to humans if eaten raw, it has numerous uses in traditional medicine.

Fever Tree

A striking acacia with smooth, powdery, yellow-green bark. It grows in swampy, low-lying areas. Early European settlers associated it with malaria, not realizing the mosquitos in its habitat were the cause, hence its common name.

Bird Plum

A medium-sized tree of savanna woodlands, prized for its sweet, edible fruits that have a date-like flavor. The fruit is eaten fresh or used to make a traditional alcoholic beverage. The wood is hard and durable.

Wild Custard Apple

A small, deciduous tree of the savanna woodlands. It produces an aromatic, edible fruit that resembles a small custard apple. The leaves, roots, and bark are all widely used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments.

Apple-ring Acacia

A unique acacia that sheds its leaves during the rainy season and is in leaf during the dry season, a process called reverse foliation. This makes it an excellent agroforestry tree, providing fodder and shade when crops are not growing.

Bastard Sandalwood

A small evergreen tree or shrub found in dry forests and scrubland. Its fragrant wood and roots are used as a substitute for true sandalwood. It is a hemiparasite, meaning it derives some of its nutrients by tapping into the roots of other plants.

African bitterwood

A small tree found in forest margins and clearings in the highlands. As its name suggests, all parts of the plant are extremely bitter. It is a well-known medicinal plant, traditionally used to treat dysentery and other stomach ailments.

Wild Cardamom

A small, herbaceous plant that forms dense clumps and can be considered a very small tree-like perennial. It grows in the forest understory and is the source of Ethiopian cardamom (‘Korerima’), a key spice in Ethiopian cuisine, particularly in ‘berbere’ spice mix.

Tamarind

A large, long-lived tree with a dense canopy, found in savanna and woodland areas. It produces pod-like fruits with a sweet-sour pulp that is widely used in food, drinks, and traditional medicine. The hard wood is also valuable.

Candelabra Tree

A massive, cactus-like succulent tree that is a dramatic feature of the landscape in drier parts of Ethiopia. Its branching structure resembles a candelabra. The milky latex is highly toxic and was traditionally used as a fish poison.

Khat

A small evergreen tree cultivated extensively in the highlands of Ethiopia. Its leaves are chewed as a stimulant for their mild amphetamine-like effects. Khat is a major cash crop and has significant cultural and economic importance in the region.

Blackwood

A small, spiny, slow-growing tree of the dry woodlands. It yields one of the world’s hardest and densest woods, African Blackwood, which is highly prized for making professional-grade clarinets and oboes.

Water Berry

A large evergreen tree commonly found along rivers and in swampy forests. It produces edible, purple, berry-like fruits. The tree is important for stabilizing riverbanks and provides valuable shade and firewood.

African Gardenia

A small, gnarled tree of the savanna woodlands with rigid branches and wonderfully fragrant, large white flowers. The hard, woody fruits are used in traditional medicine and as a source of black dye.

Giant Heath

In the high-altitude Bale and Simien Mountains, this heath grows into a small, gnarled tree, forming unique sub-alpine forests. It has tiny, needle-like leaves and small, bell-shaped white flowers.

Tasmanian Blue Gum

Originally from Australia, this fast-growing eucalyptus is now ubiquitous in the Ethiopian highlands, especially around Addis Ababa. It’s a primary source of construction poles and firewood but is criticized for its high water use.

Silky Oak

A tall, fast-growing Australian tree widely planted in Ethiopia for shade in coffee and tea plantations, and as a boundary marker. It produces a useful timber and its showy golden-orange flowers attract nectar-feeding birds.

Leucaena

A fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree promoted for agroforestry, animal fodder, and firewood. However, its tendency to spread aggressively has led it to become an invasive species in many parts of the country, outcompeting native vegetation.

Neem

Introduced from Asia, this hardy, fast-growing tree is now widely planted in drier regions of Ethiopia for shade, timber, and its medicinal properties. Its seeds are the source of neem oil, a natural insecticide.

Fever Berry

A small, multi-stemmed tree or shrub found in dry bushland and forest edges. It is distinguished by the silvery-white underside of its leaves. It has various applications in traditional medicine.

Wild Medlar

A small tree of woodlands and savannas that produces large, globular, edible fruits. When ripe, the fruit has a brown, mealy pulp with a taste reminiscent of apple-pie. It is a popular and important wild fruit.

Red Thorn

An acacia known for its rusty-red powdery bark on young stems and its long, straight white thorns. It is a major source of Gum Arabic and is common in seasonally waterlogged clay soils in savanna and woodland ecosystems.

River Bean

A fast-growing, short-lived small tree often found on riverbanks and seasonally flooded areas. It is widely used in agroforestry for its ability to fix nitrogen and improve soil fertility, and its leaves are a rich source of protein for livestock.

Nux-vomica Tree

A small, spiny tree of savanna woodlands, also known as the spiny monkey-orange. It produces a hard-shelled, yellow fruit with edible, sweet-sour pulp, but the seeds are poisonous, containing strychnine.

Common Jujube

A spiny, small to medium-sized tree found in arid and semi-arid regions. It produces a small, round, edible fruit that is rich in Vitamin C. The tree is extremely drought-resistant and provides valuable fodder for livestock.

Magic Guarri

An evergreen tree of woodlands and riverbanks, known as the ‘magic guarri’ because its roots and bark are used to produce dark dyes for basketry and as a purgative in traditional medicine. Its fruits are eaten by birds.

Cape Fig

A fast-growing fig tree common in forests and along rivers. It produces large clusters of edible figs on its trunk and main branches. The figs are a vital food source for a wide range of birds and mammals, including monkeys and bats.

Knobthorn

A large, deciduous acacia recognized by the persistent, thorn-tipped knobs on its trunk and branches. It’s a key tree in savanna ecosystems, providing browse for elephants and giraffes. Its hard wood makes excellent, long-lasting firewood.

African Mahogany

A large tree of the savanna woodlands, particularly in western Ethiopia. It yields a valuable, reddish-brown timber similar to true mahogany. Over-exploitation for its timber has led to a decline in its populations.

Wild Plum

An evergreen tree found in riverine forests, though rare in Ethiopia. It produces tart, edible, plum-like fruits that are rich in Vitamin C. The wood is a useful general-purpose timber.

Abyssinian Tea

A spiny, small tree related to Khat, found in dry woodlands and scrub. Unlike its famous relative, its leaves are not widely used as a stimulant. It plays a role in the local ecology of its dryland habitat.

Gummy Gardenia

A small, resinous tree found in dry woodlands. It exudes a yellow, gummy resin from its leaf buds, which is used in traditional medicine. The tree has fragrant white flowers typical of the Gardenia genus.

Small-leaved Dragon Tree

A rare, slow-growing dragon tree species endemic to the dry limestone regions of eastern Ethiopia. It has a distinct, candelabra-like branching form and is threatened by habitat loss and over-collection.

Bale Mountains St. John’s Wort

While often a shrub, this species forms small, gnarled trees in the ericaceous belt of the Bale and Simien Mountains. It is characterized by its bright yellow, star-shaped flowers and is a key part of the unique high-altitude ecosystem.

African Almond

A large evergreen tree of the montane forests. Its bark is highly valued in international markets for medicinal extracts used to treat prostate conditions. This high demand has led to unsustainable harvesting and threatens the species.

Bitter-leaf

A small tree or shrub widespread in Africa. It is famous for its bitter leaves, which are used as a vegetable (after washing to reduce bitterness) and are a very important component of traditional medicine for treating fevers and parasites.

Cape Holly

An evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests, often along rivers. It has smooth grey bark and glossy green leaves. The wood is fine-grained and suitable for carving, though not a major commercial timber.

Lippia Tree

A small tree or shrub from which the Ethiopian spice ‘Koseret’ is harvested. The dried leaves have a sage-like aroma and are used to flavor clarified butter (‘niter kibbeh’) and various stews. It’s a common feature in kitchen gardens.

Egyptian riverhemp

A fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree common along waterways. It’s an important agroforestry species, used for improving soil, as animal fodder, and for light firewood. Its ability to thrive in waterlogged soils makes it particularly valuable.

Buffalo Thorn

A small to medium-sized tree with distinctive paired thorns – one straight, one hooked. It is widespread in woodlands and savannas. The tree has many cultural and medicinal uses, and its nutritious fruits are eaten by people and animals.

Wild Pear

A small, deciduous tree of the woodlands, known for its beautiful clusters of white to pink flowers that appear before the leaves. It is an important source of nectar for bees.

Paperbark Thorn

A large, flat-topped acacia with a rough, corky, peeling bark. It is a common and important tree in savanna ecosystems, providing shade, fodder, and nitrogen fixation. Its pods are a key dry-season food for livestock.

Green Thorn

A spiny, multi-stemmed tree adapted to arid environments in eastern Ethiopia. It is highly drought-resistant and provides important browse for camels and goats in harsh conditions.

Candlewood

A widespread small tree or shrub, often found in disturbed areas and forest margins. Its leaves are slightly sticky and aromatic. It’s a hardy pioneer species used for hedging, firewood, and in traditional medicine.

Somali Teak

A large tree found in the forests of southwestern Ethiopia. It yields a high-quality, durable timber, though it is not as well-known as other African teaks. It is an important component of the forest canopy.

African Tamarisk

A salt-tolerant tree found in arid and semi-arid riverbeds. It has scale-like leaves and a feathery appearance. It is excellent for stabilizing soil in harsh, saline environments but can be invasive in some contexts.

Resurrection Bush

A remarkable small, woody plant on the borderline of being a tree, found on rocky outcrops. During dry periods, it appears completely dead, but its leaves rehydrate and turn green within hours of rainfall, hence its name.

Wild Peach

A fast-growing pioneer tree in forest margins. Its grey-green fruit capsules split open to reveal seeds covered in a bright orange, oily layer, attracting birds which then disperse the seeds.

Abyssinian Coral Tree

A tall, impressive coral tree endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. It is often planted in and around farms for its soil-improving qualities and as a living fence. Its bright red flowers are a conspicuous sight.

Broom Cluster Fig

A small fig tree or shrub typically found along rivers and lakesides. Its leaves are rough, like sandpaper, and were traditionally used for polishing wooden items. It’s an important food source for fruit-eating fish and other wildlife.

Velvet-leafed Combretum

A common, small to medium-sized savanna tree with a rough, dark bark and soft, velvety leaves. It is highly valued for its use in traditional medicine, particularly for treating coughs and stomach problems.

Corky-bark Thorn

A small acacia of dry regions, easily identified by its thick, corky, yellowish bark that offers protection against fire. Its pods and leaves provide valuable browse for livestock in arid areas.

Satin-bark Corkwood

A rare, small tree endemic to the drylands of southern Ethiopia. It has a smooth, peeling, satin-like bark. It is one of many Commiphora species in the region that produce aromatic resins.

Broad-leaved Paperbark

An Australian tree introduced for planting in waterlogged areas. It is tolerant of poor soils and provides firewood and poles. Like Eucalyptus, its impact on local water tables and ecosystems is a subject of study.