Native plants of the African savannas & tropics
These 55 plants belong to the African savannas & tropics. They were here before the gardens were: they know the weather, live on the rain that falls, and feed the insects and birds that grew up alongside them. Plant a few and your yard starts to fit its place.
Signature plant: Baobab, native here and in no other world region on this list.
Fruit trees (5)
- Christ's thorn jujube (sidr) · zones 9–11
- Desert date · zones 9–12
- Kei apple · zones 9–11
- Waterberry (umdoni) · zones 9–11
- Wild plum (umgwenya) · zones 9–11
Berries and small fruit (1)
- Num-num · zones 9–11
Tropical and subtropical food plants (15)
- Ackee · zones 10–12
- African oil palm · zones 10–12
- Baobab · zones 10–12
- Black plum (vitex) · zones 10–12
- Coffee · zones 10–11
- Doum palm · zones 9–11
- Enset (false banana) · zones 9–11
- Marula · zones 10–12
- Natal plum · zones 9–11
- Oyster nut · zones 10–12
- Shea tree · zones 10–12
- Sycamore fig · zones 10–12
- Tamarind · zones 10–12
- Velvet tamarind (yoyi) · zones 10–12
- Wild custard apple · zones 10–12
Perennial vegetables, greens and herbs (8)
- Bitter leaf · zones 10–12
- Brahmi (water hyssop) · zones 9–12
- Gesho · zones 9–11
- Gotu kola · zones 8–12
- Korarima (Ethiopian cardamom) · zones 10–12
- Papyrus · zones 9–11
- Shatavari · zones 9–12
- White yam (Guinea yam) · zones 9–12
Annual vegetables, herbs and grains (18)
- African nightshade (mnavu) · zones 6–12
- African rice · zones 8–12
- African spider plant · zones 6–12
- Bambara groundnut · zones 6–11
- Bottle gourd (lauki) · zones 6–12
- Egusi melon · zones 8–12
- Finger millet (ragi) · zones 7–12
- Fonio · zones 9–12
- Garden egg (African eggplant) · zones 9–12
- Molokhia (jute mallow) · zones 6–12
- Okra · zones 2–11
- Pearl millet (bajra) · zones 7–12
- Roselle (hibiscus tea) · zones 8–12
- Sesame (til) · zones 7–12
- Sorghum · zones 3–11
- Southern pea (cowpea) · zones 5–11
- Teff · zones 8–11
- Watermelon · zones 3–11
Native and wild plants (4)
- Forest grape (Cape grape) · zones 9–11
- Traveller's palm (ravinala) · zones 10–12
- Umbrella thorn acacia · zones 9–12
- Wanza · zones 10–12
Helper plants for soil, wildlife and biomass (4)
- African wormwood (wilde-als) · zones 8–10
- Cape aloe (bitter aloe) · zones 9–11
- Ethiopian coral tree (korch) · zones 10–12
- Gum arabic tree · zones 10–12
Open the natives of African savannas & tropics in the planner
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All regions · Plants by hardiness zone
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home