Plants and Vegetation in Namibia
Due to the climatic differences within the country, Namibia has a broad variety of plant species from desert and semi-desert vegetation to evergreen subtropical plants.
About 70% of Namibia is savannah. In Central Namibia, thornbush-savannah is dominant with extensive grasslands and acacia bush. Sporadically you see trees, mainly camel-thorn trees and other kinds of acacia which often grow near dry riverbeds.
Towards the north-east, where there is a higher rainfall, the thornbush savannah slowly turns into Mopane savannah and there is a greater number of trees. In the relatively humid Caprivi the dominant vegetation form is the woodland savannah, interspersed with single baobabs, wild figs and makalani palms.
Not much grass grows in the arid south of Namibia. Trees are also scarce. Succulents - water-storing plants - can be seen frequently in this region. Most impressive is the Kokerboom or Quivertree, endemic to Namibia and Namaqualand. It can reach a height of 9 metres and is frequently found in the area around Keetmanshoop and in the Tiras Mountains.
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Precipitation is very low over the whole of Namibia. The days are hot, and the sun scorches the earth. Most of the time the land looks dry and parched. the silvery-yellowish grass grows in bunches and covers the reddish-brown soil only sparsely. In the short rainy season, from December to February, the grassland and the shrubs turn green. During this time, you can see carpets of wildflowers covering the deserts of the south.
Top: Quivertree. Left: Grass savannah in the Kaokoveld.
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