Shea butter is a popular deciduous tree found in savanna habitats and has a wide range of uses. The seeds contain fat (shea butter) that is used in cooking, pastries, moisturizers, soaps, candles, and cosmetics. The bark produces a latex that is used in chewing gum and glue. Both the fruits and flowers are important foods to locals living in savanna habitats.

The senegal mahogany is a medium-sized tree native to the tropical regions of West Africa. Its fruit changes from gray to black when ripe and discharges winged seeds to be dispersed by the wind. Its wood, Khaya senegalensis, is used for various purposes, including but not limited to interior trimming, construction, carpentry, and fuel.

Leaves are bipinnately compound, silvery pubescent or glabrescent. Flowers are creamy white, fragrant and in pendulous racemes of up to 30 cm in length.

Native to the African savanna, monkey guava (Diospyros mespiliformis) is an important food source for African animals. Grazing animals typically eat its leaves, while jackals, in particular, are fond of its fruit, leading to another nickname: jackalberry. It frequently grows over termite mounds because the termites aerate the soil around it, while it offers them protection from the sun.

Mobola plum is a tree species native to Africa. The fruit of the tree is a popular source of food for humans and wildlife, and is known to be rich in Vitamin C. The wood of the mobola plum is durable and has been used in furniture-making and as fuelwood.

Sweet dattock is a deciduous West African tree with a broad, spreading canopy. It typically grows in dry, open woodland areas, thriving in well-drained soil. The leaves are pinnate with leaflets arranged in opposite pairs. This tree is known for its small, sweet, fibrous fruits that are valued both for their taste and potential medicinal properties. Its hard, reddish-brown wood is utilized locally in construction and carpentry.

Bridelia ferruginea is a medium-sized deciduous tree characterized by its dense, spreading canopy and rough, rusty-brown bark. The leaves are simple, ovate, and darken as they age, contrasting with the pale green of new growth. This hardy species thrives in a variety of soil types, typically found in African savannas, where its robust nature enables it to withstand dry conditions.

Variable combretum is most notable for its strangely shaped fruit. These dark brown fruits are four-winged and variable in shape, explaining the common name of the tree. Sadly though, they are not edible fruits.

The grain of grain sorghum is utilized for human consumption, animal feed, and ethanol manufacturing. It is commonly grown in tropical and subtropical countries, originating in Africa. The grain is used to make liquor, animal feed, and bio-based ethanol, among other things.

Sand crown-berry is a robust, tropical tree that stands out with its reddish-brown bark and elliptical leaves which acquire a glossy green appearance as they mature. This hardy plant often thrives in Savannah landscapes, absorbing the intense sun to bolster its role in traditional medicine, reputed for anti-fever properties. Its resilience against harsh climates is echoed by its firm, upright stance and hearty root system.

It may surprise you to know that cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is related to poison ivy, pistachio, and even mango! It is a tropical evergreen native to Brazil and produces a wood used to build shipping crates, boats, and charcoal. The resin in the shells of the fruits are used to make insecticides and plastics, so the nuts must be separated from the shells before being sold as food. Explorers from Portugal are responsible for introducing cashews to the outside world.

Bombax costatum features a striking, thick trunk with thorny bark, adapted for water storage in its arid habitat. The plant's large, vibrant red flowers and broad, palmate leaves are distinctive, attracting pollinators while providing shade to its base. This deciduous tree is robust, suited to survive in challenging terrains where it often becomes a local landmark.

The bush fig is also called the broom cluster fig because of the drooping clusters of fruit it produces in the spring and summer. The fruits attract a wide variety of birds and even fruit bats. The large tree, growing up to 35 meters, is perhaps most valued for the shade it provides across African countries.

Octopus cabbage tree is a robust tree typically identified by its palm-like silhouette with a thick, sturdy trunk. It sports large, digitate leaves radiating at the tip of its branches, creating an umbrella-like canopy. This adaptive feature allows octopus cabbage tree to thrive in various environments by capturing sunlight efficiently and shading its own base. Its distinctive appearance makes octopus cabbage tree an attractive and recognizable feature in both natural and cultivated landscapes.

Wild custard apple is a common fruit in African markets, sought for its pineapple-like smell, sweet taste and use for flavoring ice cream and other treats. It is also frequently grazed by livestock, and its bark is sometimes used to make insecticides.

The poison tree is a large tropical tree whose latex is used as a traditional poison coating for arrows and darts. The inner bark that gives the toxins is also used for making cloth, sandals, sacks, mats, and paper. It also contains tannins which can be used for dyeing. Its seeds are dispersed by birds and bats.

Tree bean is a tall-growing tree found in mixed and evergreen dry and tropical forests. It is cultivated in east Asia, where parts of the plant are used in shampoos.

Strychnos spinosa, the Natal orange, is a tree indigenous to tropical and subtropical Africa. It produces, sweet-sour, yellow fruits, containing numerous hard brown seeds. Greenish-white flowers grow in dense heads at the ends of branches (Sep-Feb/Spring - summer). The fruits tend to appear only after good rains. It is related to the deadly Strychnos nux-vomica, which contains strychnine. The smooth, hard fruit are large and green, ripen to yellow colour. Inside the fruit are tightly packed seeds, which may be toxic, surrounded by a fleshy, brown, edible covering. Animals such as baboon, monkeys, bushpig, nyala and eland eat the fruit. The leaves are a popular food source for browsers such as duiker, kudu, impala, steenbok, nyala and elephant.

Water pear is an elegant evergreen tree, recognized by its dense canopy of glossy green leaves and small, white fragrant flowers. It thrives in mixed woodland and forest edges, benefitting from nutrient-rich, well-drained soils. Seasonally, it adorns itself with edible purple-reddish fruit, a treat for local wildlife. Its hard, reddish-brown wood is often utilized in construction, showcasing the plant's balance of beauty and utility.

An important subsistence crop, pearl millet is hardy and drought-tolerant. Also known as Cenchrus americanus, it grows well near deserts where the rainfall is low. It has been cultivated in the United States since the 1850s and there are records of this important crop being grown since 2000 B.C.