Fuel
Plants are an important source of fuel for cooking, boiling water and keeping ourselves warm.
Currently wood fuel provides over half the energy used in developing countries, in the form of forest wood or charcoal. Much of this is gathered directly from the wild, putting some tree and shrub species at high risk.
Commiphora africana, or African myhrr, is found throughout Africa, and seeds from this species were collected by Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partners in Kenya in 2005. It can provide a sustainable source of fuel because it can withstand lopping, and is used for both heating and cooking. When the resin burns, the fumes are also used as an insecticide and aphrodisiac!
Actually, this tree also has many other benefits, including a treatment for typhoid fever, stomach problems and malaria. The leaves can be used as a food source for both humans and goats.
Explore our fuel species profiles
Colophospermum mopane
mopane
Oxytenanthera abyssinica
Bindura bamboo
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