Mopane

The Mopane tree is one of the major contributors to the economy of Botswana, Africa. The Mopane worms that are born in the Mopane trees are exported in huge scale that brings millions of Pula (currency of Botswana) to the Botswana economy. The beautiful look of the Mopane trees draws thousands of visitors to Botswana. The shape of the leaves of the Mopane tree is the most characteristic feature of the tree.

The tourists find it very hard to distinguish the butterflies from the butterfly-shaped leaves of Mopane trees. The color of the Mopane leaves is bright green when they are just born. But gradually with the passage of time, varieties of colors appear on the leaves. These colors add vibrancy to the landscape of Botswana.

In the Okavango Delta and Moremi, the Mopane trees are found in abundance. The huge stretch in Botswana, where the Mopane trees predominate, is known as Mopane tongue. The harvest of Mopane trees does not need any fine soil. Henceforth, in the poorly-drained soils of Botswana, Mopane trees grow in large numbers.

The shape of the Mopane fruit takes the shape of a human kidney. The fruits are born from April to June. The tourists find it very attractive to stare at the kidney-shaped fruits among the multicolored butterfly-shaped leaves of the Mopane trees.