#boabtree

BOAB TREES

This amazing bulb looking tree with its (more often than not) leafless branches is called the Australia Adansoina Gregorii aka the Boab Tree.

The boab can be found in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia and east into the Northern Territory. 

They can grow from 5-15m in height and 1-5m in width.

Its name is a shortened form of its more common name “Boabab” Boab is the now common name for this tree, However, there are many others; 

Australian Baobab

Boabab

Baob

Bottle Tree

Dead Rat Tree

Monkey Bread Tree

Cream of Tartar Tree

Gourd “Gourd Tree”

Upside Down Tree

Gouty Stem Tree

Illy

Tree of Romance

Names used by the Indigenous Australians

Gadawon

Larrgadi or Larrgadiy 

The Boab has been used for many different reason, hence why it has so many names.

In the dry season, Indigenous Australians obtained water from the hollows in the tree. These trees have the ability to store water in their giant bulb like figures. They also used the white powder that fills the seed pods as a food source. The leaves of the tree have been known to be used medicinally and the leaves also carry a high Iron content.

Back in the 1890′s a large hollow boab south of Derby was known to be used as a lockup for Aboriginal prisoners who were on their way to Derby for sentencing. This is now known as the Boab Prison Tree and is a tourist attraction.

There is another hollow boab tree near Wyndham known as the Hillgrove Lockup or Wyndham Prison Tree and was also used as a prison. There is a news article that dates back to the 1940′s that states when there was not enough room inside the tree for all prisoners they were chained to the outside of the tree. One prisoner, who has been described as over six foot and rather masculine, escaped the chains. Well he escaped and took the chains with him!

 If you ever get the chance to spot one of these bulby trees its defiantly worth pulling over for.

Day 4 A song you like from a movie soundtrack: