Where does the shea tree grow?

Shea trees only grow in a narrow belt of fertile, well-drained soils in the savannah stretching from West Africa to East Africa. Nuts from shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) are the source of thick ivory-colored vegetable butter — a staple used as cooking oil in the region.

Can you grow a shea tree?

Seed can be planted directly in the field or in the nursery. Seed-beds are made of a mixture of organic compost and sand. After one year, seedlings are transplanted in the nursery or planted directly in the field. Those grown in containers are transplanted after one to two years.

What tree produces shea butter?

Vitellaria paradoxa
The shea butter tree [family Sapotaceae, Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertner, synonym Butyrospermum parkii (G. Don) Hepper], is indigenous to the wild and dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and grows onto the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands.

Can I grow a shea butter tree?

Cultivation. A shea-tree (Butyrospermum Parkii) needs between 8 and 15 years until the first harvest but some time longer to reach full capacity. A tree can yield of 15 to 20 kg of fresh fruit that will produce 3 to 4 kg of dry kernels. The kernels are made up of 42 to 48% oil.

What does to shea mean?

—used to acknowledge a hit in fencing or the success or appropriateness of an argument, an accusation, or a witty point.

What does shea tree look like?

The Shea tree (Butyrospermum parkii), is small (usually 40 – 45 ft high) and has a spreading canopy. The tree very much looks like the American Oak. It has a very thick bark which is highly fissured and fire resistant. The tree is found abundantly all across West Africa where it grows naturally in the woods.

Can shea grow in South Africa?

Shea tree grows uncultivated in 19 countries across the African continent, namely Zaire, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Sudan, Guinea, Central African Republic Bissau, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Uganda, Uganda.

Can I eat shea butter?

It is safe to consume provided that it is 100% raw and unrefined. Make sure your Shea butter product is at least grade A and comes from a reputable source. In Ghana and other African countries, Shea butter is commonly used in food preparation.

What does an African shea tree look like?

What does Shea mean in African?

noun. A tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) indigenous to Africa, occurring in Mali, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Uganda. noun.

Where did Petite come from?

The word petite is the feminine form of little in French, and sometime in the 1700s it became used frequently in English literature to describe those who are small in stature.

What family is the shea tree in?

Sapotaceae
Vitellaria paradoxa (formerly Butyrospermum parkii), commonly known as shea tree, shi tree (/ˈʃiː(ə)/), or vitellaria, is a tree of the family Sapotaceae….