Ethiopia is a country rich in variation and species of trees. Therefore, an abundant number of trees in Ethiopia are indigenous to the country. When talking about indigenous, we mean those trees native to a country or region that have adapted to that specific area's climate and soil type. Below are some common indigenous trees found in Ethiopia.

 Ficus Vasta

Ficus Vasta, commonly known as Warka in Amharic, is a tree part of a species called sycamore-fig. Ficus Vasta is huge, growing to 20-25m. They have wide bases and smooth bases with broad coverage. It belongs to the family Moraceae in the order Rosales. Naturally, Ficus Vasta occurs in Northern and Eastern Africa and the Southern Arabian Peninsula. ( Famine Food Field Guide,2022 It is commonly found in Ethiopia, northern Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Yemen. F. Vasta grows in areas which are dry and hot. (Negash, Legesse,2019). These trees grow primarily in lowlands, dry savannahs and the like, known for their hot climate. (Negash, Legesse,2019). Ethiopia's regions where these trees grow include Sidama, Tigray, Wollo, Gonder, Gojjam, Kaffa, Shewa, and more. (Negash, Legesse,2019). Ficus Vasta produces fruits which grow in clusters like figs.

Figure 1.1. Ficus Vasta( Warka)

 Juniperus procera 

Juniperus procera or Yhabesha tid in Amharic, also known by its common English names African pencil-cedar, African juniper, East African juniper, East African-cedar, and Kenya-cedar is a coniferous tree valued for its use as timber indigenous to the mountainous areas or the highlands of Eastern, Northeastern, West-central, South tropical Africa and the Arabian peninsula, in Ethiopia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Democratic Republic Of Conga, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Wikipedia,2022). The tree, which can grow from 20m to as high as 30m, is mainly used in constructing houses and furniture, with the bark used to make beehives. (Wikipedia,2022). (African Cedar,2022). Juniperus procera mainly grows in high-elevation areas with an altitudinal range of 1100-3500m above sea level, with low precipitation and sub-humid subtropical and high-elevation tropical climates. ( World Agroforestry,2022)

Figure1.2.Juniperus procera(Plants of the World Online,2022)

Podocarpus gracilior(Afrocarpus gracilior)

Podocarpus gracilior, found in the family of Podocarpaceae in the genus Afrocarpus, is a coniferous tree species. The common names used to label the trees are East African yellowwood, African fern tree, or bastard yellowwood in English, Benet in Marakwet and Zigba in Amharic. (Wikipedia,2022). A.gracilior is native to Eastern Africa in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Podocarpus gracilior grows mainly in Afromontane habitats. (Wikipedia,2022). A.gracilior preferably in moist, deep, and slightly acidic soil. These trees grow in the semi-humid highland regions of central and eastern Ethiopian highlands, in moist and Wet Weyna Dega and Dega climatic zones of Ethiopia. (Useful Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia,2022)

Figure 1.3. Podocarpus gracilior(Afrocarpus gracilior)(Wikipedia,2022)

Hagenia abyssinica

Hagenia abyssinica is widely known in Ethiopia as the Kosso tree since it is widely used for medicinal purposes in treating Kosso(Tapeworm). Its common name in English is African redwood and East African rosewood. (Wikipedia,2022). Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia are the main areas where H. abyssinica grow. (Wikipedia,2022). It is a species of flowering plant native to elevated areas of Afromontane with a different distribution in the high mountains of East Africa from Sudan and Ethiopia in the north. ( Tariku Simion,2018). It is found in high mountainous areas of highly elevated areas of Afromontane regions. ( Tariku Simion,2018). It is generally found in elevated areas of 2000-3000m. (Wikipedia,2022). It can be found in forests growing mixed with Afrocarpus gracilior and Juniperus procera. 

 Figure1.4. Hagenia abyssinica(Global Trees,2022)

Faidherbia albida

Also known as White acacia in English and Grar in Amharic is mainly native to the African continent. It has many uses for wood carving, barbed fences, the seeds as food, the seed pods as fodder, the flowers as bee forage, and more. (Plants For A Future,2022). F. albida mainly grows in tropical to warm temperate zones; it thrives in dry seasons and long days with long summers. (Plants For A Future,2022) It can grow independent of rainfall. It grows preferably well in well-drained, dry or moist soil. It can withstand drought. (Plants For A Future,2022)

 Figure1.5. Faidherbia albida(Legesse Negash, 2019) 

Acacia abyssinica

The common name of acacia abyssinica is Umbrella thorn, Vachellia abysinica and Flat top acacia and its Amharic name is Bazra girar. It is from the Fabaceae family, also known as the pod-bearing family. .( Negash, Legesse,2021) Used for firewood, food, charcoal, tool handles, fences and many more, these trees widely grow in Afromontane regions of Africa. Characteristically A. abyssinica grows in the moist highland regions of Ethiopia and woody areas. Therefore, it is distributed mainly in highland Ethiopia with altitudes from 1500-2900 above sea level. ( Negash, Legesse,2021)

 Figure1.6. Acacia abyssinica(Wikipedia, 2022)

Cordia africana

Cordia africana or Wanza in Amharic is one of Ethiopia's most important indigenous. It is found in other areas of Africa and Arabia in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. (Getu Alemayehu et al., 2016). The average height of the trees is between 14-21m with edible fruits. (Getu Alemayehu et al., 2016). A significant use of Cordia africana is in making furniture and household materials; it is highly coveted for its use as a timber tree. It is found in riverine forests, lowlands and Afromontane areas in Ethiopia. Although it can grow in drier conditions by lowering its water consumption, it prefers to grow in a warm areas with sufficient rain. (Getu Alemayehu et al., 2016).

 Figure1.7.Cordia africana(Wikipedia, 2022)

Ficus sur Forssk

Ficus sur Forssk, commonly known in Ethiopia by its Amharic name Shola, is native to tropical Africa and the Cape islands. It belongs to the Moraceae family or the mulberry family. (Negash Legesse, 2021). It grows to a height of 4-9m. It is also a vast and edible plant. ( Zelalem Pawlos et al.,2021) It grows in the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and is suitable for controlling soil erosion. It requires an annual rainfall of 1000-2000m to thrive and grow. (Ficus sur Forssk,2022) It grows along riverbanks, in rocky and moist habitats, in riverine forests, upland forests, woodlands and wooded grasslands. (Negash Legesse, 2021)

 Figure1.8. Ficus sur Forssk (Garin, 2015)

References

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