Driving out of Dakar into the fine sandy dust of the Senegal countryside, people become scarce along the dirt tracks. All I see for miles are a few scattered thatch-covered homes, some patches of greens growing beside them, and lots of scrubby grass. Then, the landscape feels other-worldly as the trees become more dense. These are not your every day-looking neighborhood oaks, but rather, enormous, magical beings that appear to have been there since the beginning of time. They are baobab trees.

The baobab tree is revered in Senegal, where it is the nation’s symbol, as well as throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Its resilience and size have made it impervious to most of the effects of weather and environment, and