The aduwa tree, known as Desert Date in English, is a widespread, thorny tree that is very resistant to drought. The use of this tree is very diverse: leaves and fruits provide food and medicinal use for both humans and animals, while the wood provides fuel and tools (Abdou Habou, 2020). The fruits and oil have even been archaeologically traced back to ancient Egypt (Janick, 2002). Long forgotten and neglected, they are now rediscovered as one of the true treasures of the arid African zones.
The species grows until deep in the Sahara desert and can often be the only tree species left in areas that are threatened to be invaded by sand, as it has the ability to grow within a rainfall range of 100 to 1000 mm (Rafiou Ousmane, 2023). The tree is very resistant to drought thanks to various physical and chemical adaptations, the most characteristic one being deep rooting. The branches typically have long thorns and retain their foliage all year long.
Despite it's unattractive impression due to the long and strong thorns, the tree is an important source of dietary products. The pulp of the drupe-shaped fruits is bittersweet and can be consumed by sucking on the peeled fruits or by making juice of it. The almond inside the seed contains high quality oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids that have a nutritional benefit. They are therefore used to make oil, which is used both as a food and as a cosmetic product. The residual product of the oil production can consequently be used to make soap (Rafiou Ousmane, 2023).
