Plant · P-728

Shea Tree

Vitellaria paradoxa

Shea Tree is a slow-growing deciduous tree reaching about 15 m tall and wide grown across the West African savannah for the fat pressed from its seed - shea butter - used as a cooking fat and in cosmetics and skin care. It wants full sun to light shade and tolerates poor dry ground once established though it is painfully slow to bear taking ten to twenty five years to first flower and up to forty five years to reach full maturity. It can live two to three centuries and typically produces one heavy fruit crop every three to four years rather than a reliable annual harvest.