There are variations in vegetation in the Serengeti National Park due to variations in Altitude and land forms. The general area lies below the 1280 meters above sea level mark which is the cultivated climate and vegetation zone. The area is characterized with short grass that catches the waters form the highlands. These are also known as the savanna vegetation. They are characterized by short bushes and a lot of acacia trees. There are patches of woodlands, swamps and mashes.
Vegetation in Serengeti National Park
Trees
Sausage Tree
Only in few numbers can one find this enormous tree in the Serengeti, generally beside the dry riverbanks. It falls from the tree and releases seeds as the pulp rots, producing amazing long (up to 50 centimeters), delicious, but toxic fruits: The fruit stalks are frequently confused for a leopard’s tail since they remain visible for months after the fruit has fallen.
Fig Trees
Fig trees come in a variety of species in Serengeti National Park. They are easily recognized by their massive buttressing entwined roots, saucer-sized dark green leaves, and characteristic grey, smooth bark. Fig trees are frequently found growing in the rocky crevices of kopjes or along the damp sides of rivers.
Wild Date Palm
As monocotyledons, palms are related to lilies, bananas, grasses, and orchids because the veins in their leaves are parallel and unbranched. The most prevalent palm tree in the Serengeti is the wild date palm, which grows in wetlands and along rivers. The wild date palm’s fruits are edible, however they have a terrible flavor. Palm wine can be created from the sweet sap. The tree provides plenty of shade, which lions that are sleeping prefer.
Commiphora
Commiphoras and Vachellia are easily distinguished by their small, roundish leaves and peeling, papery blue/yellowish bark. Although they are found all across the Serengeti, these trees are more prevalent in the park’s eastern region. The berries, bark, and roots are used in traditional medicine to cure a wide range of conditions, such as stomach issues, liver issues, and rashes. The most prevalent species of Commiphora is Commiphora africana, also known as African myrrh.
Yellow Fever Tree
In moist regions near rivers, marshes, and floodplains, yellow fever trees are frequently seen. It is a tall, beautiful tree with characteristic yellow bark, wide, extending branches, and huge white thorns. It truly is impossible to miss. The term “Yellow Fever Tree” originated from the fact that early settlers thought the yellow trees growing nearby were to blame for their fevers rather than the mosquitoes that carried malaria, which they found was more abundant near standing water.
Umbrella Tree
This tree, with its distinctive shape interrupting the plains’ flat terrain, is a symbol of Africa. With its distinctive flat top, dark bark, and noticeable white thorns, Vachellia tortilis forms a spectacular arch across the plains in Serengeti National Park. Giraffes and elephants really like the seedlings of this tree. Umbrella trees can only sprout en masse twice in the past 125 years because their seedlings cannot withstand bush fires. The majority of Serengeti umbrella trees are 45 or 125 years old.
Whistling Thorn
A strange-looking tree with hard, hollow spheres full of stinging ants at the base of its thorns. In “extrafloral nectaries,” which are unique flower-like structures, the tree offers food and shelter to ants in exchange for their protection. The whistling noises produced by the ant entrance holes into the hollow galls are the source of the name whistling thorn. Every time the soil becomes periodically wet with water, a large number of these small trees sprout up.
Grasses
Red Oat Grass
One of the most common grass species in forests and the long-grass plains of Serengeti National Park is red out grass, also known as kangaroo grass in Australia or rooigras in Afrikaans. It dries to a bright pinkish-red tint. Red out grass grows so densely on the plains that it resembles a field of wheat, complete with flat, fan-like seeds that flap in the breeze. Red oat grass is eaten by wolverines, but only after they have used up all the more appetizing grasses.
Finger Grass
In the Serengeti, this grass is most likely the most prevalent. Many grazers favor its nutritious leaves, and upon closer inspection, it is difficult to identify an individual that has not had a bite removed. The seed heads resemble slender fingers pointing skyward, as the name would imply.
Pan Dropseed
One of the two major species on the short-grass plains is this type of Sporobolus, along with finger grass. It is challenging to differentiate between the two species because they both grow to be dwarf forms. Pan dropseed is unique among grasses because of its Christmas tree-like seed head, which has tiny ornament-like seeds hanging below the fronds.
Invasive plant species
When non-endemic invasive species overtake and displace native vegetation, they become an issue in the Serengeti. A shipment of wheat seeds brought the Mexican marigold to the region; it is a fast-growing invasive that is displacing local plants and crops, rendering regions unusable for farming. A major threat is also posed by other invasive species, such as Custard Oil (Rhoicissus sp.) and Prickly Pear (Opuntia sp.). It appears that non-endemic species pose a genuine and urgent threat to the Serengeti National Park’s vegetation and, consequently, the behavior of its wildlife. Within the park, Mexican marigold, prickly pear, and custard oil are abundant, particularly along the roadsides where the seeds from passing cars burn quickly.
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