For years, photographs of the Sunland baobab invited the same delighted reaction: there was a bar inside that enormous tree. Its hollow interior seemed large enough to turn a botanical curiosity into a room you could actually use.

Those images now belong to the tree’s history. Major stems collapsed in 2016–2017, and the old bar should not be presented as a current attraction waiting for your visit.

Archive photograph of the large Sunland baobab before its major collapse
Historical images. The famous Sunland baobab suffered major stem collapses in 2016–2017; the old bar is not presented as an operating attraction.

The archive needs a date

Sunland, in South Africa’s Limpopo region, became famous for the scale of its trunk and the adapted space inside. The photographs show why it attracted so much attention: people beside it make the size understandable, while the interior adds an unexpected human use.

But an old image can keep circulating long after a landmark changes. Before adding any unusual tree or building to an itinerary, check whether the feature that made it famous still exists.

Here, the honest story is more interesting than an outdated invitation to order a drink inside a living giant.

What the research found

A 2018 study, The demise of the largest and oldest African baobabs, examined losses among exceptionally old and large trees. It drew attention to the collapse or death of major stems and trees, including famous specimens.

The study should not be simplified into a claim that all baobabs are dying or that one cause was conclusively established for every case. Observing a concerning pattern and proving its mechanism are different steps.

Tree ages also deserve care. Estimates can depend on sampled wood and the tree’s growth structure; a rounded number in a headline is not a birthday recorded in a register.

Historical collage showing Sunland’s tree and former interior bar
Historical images. The famous Sunland baobab suffered major stem collapses in 2016–2017; the old bar is not presented as an operating attraction.

Look at the tree as more than a container

The bar story focused attention on the hollow space. Try looking instead at the archive photograph of the whole tree: the relationship between trunk and crown, the spreading branches and the scale of the ground around it.

That wider view changes the question from “what could fit inside?” to “how did this living structure develop?” It is a more rewarding way to appreciate an old tree, even without a precise age attached.

When visiting other remarkable trees, keep off exposed roots, follow barriers and avoid carving or removing material. The desire for a close photograph should not add another source of damage.

Build a better tree wish list

Choose places where access and care are clearly managed, then learn something about the species before arriving. A modest local tree can become fascinating once you notice its bark, seasonal changes or relationship with the space around it.

Our Angel Oak guide corrects another exaggerated age claim, while rainbow eucalyptus explores colour produced by changing bark.

Sunland’s archive photographs still have value. With the later history included, they become a record of something remarkable rather than a promise that time has stood still.