Words by Abi Scaife
The ‘tree against hunger’ has flowered for the very first time at Kew Gardens.
Tell me more.
The tree in question is the Ethiopian enset - a tree that produces a flower that can grow to up to 2 metres in length, plus a fruit similar to a banana.
Ensets, also known as the Ethiopian banana, die once they have finished fruiting, however, what truly gives the tree its nickname is that just 15 of them can feed a person for an entire year.
That’s amazing.
It really is! The trees are thought to feed around 20 million people every year in Ethiopia, and scientists believe they could become a “climate-coping strategy” if they were farmed more widely in Ethiopia, as well as Kenya and Uganda.
Significantly, the tree is a perennial - which means they are long-lived plants, helping to stagger crops and increase the amount of harvest.
If you want to see the amazing ‘tree of hunger’ at Kew Gardens, the team there recommends you go soon, as it will, unfortunately, die after it finishes fruiting. If you want to support Kew Gardens and help them protect and cultivate similar plants, you can do so on their website.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs Zero Hunger, Climate Action.
