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The shea butter tree comes from the species Vitellaria paradoxa also known in a wide variety of names as sheanut tree, shea-butter tree, shea tree, bambouk butter tree, galam butter tree (English); karité, arbre a beurre, beurre de galam, beurre/graisse de karité (French) and lulu in Arabic.

Vitellaria paradoxa is a small to medium-sized tree (min. 7) 10-15 (max. 25) m high; much branched, dense, spreading, round to hemispherical crown. In mature trees the bole is short, usually 3-4 m but exceptionally 8 m, with a diameter ranging from 0.3 to 1 m, but most frequently 0.6 m. Bark conspicuously thick, corky, horizontally and longitudinally deeply fissured; protects older trees against bush fires. Slash pale pink, secreting white latex, as do broken twigs or petioles.
Leaves in dense clusters, spirally arranged at the end of stout twigs. They are covered by thick bark showing numerous leaf scars. The petioles are 5-15 cm long with oblong leaves. The young leaves are rust-red and pubescent.

The shea tree is a light-demanding species of open sites and parkland savannah and forms extensive pure stands in some areas but often also associated with other trees such as Parkia biglobosa (nere). It avoids swampy areas, those liable to flooding for any length of time, moist heavy loam soils or watercourses. The extensive root system is essential for survival in the 5-7-month dry seasons of savannah climates. It can withstand quite severe fires.
Shea butter trees are mostly found in the wild in African countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Uganda.
In Cameroon, they are mostly found in the Northern, West and North West regions. In the North West Regions, Shea trees are found in Bui, Ngokentunjia and are reported to be in parts of Mezam Division in Santa.


Methods of growing shea butter trees

The shea tree does well in dry and sandy clay soils with a good humus cover but also tolerates stony sites and lateritic subsoil although reacting with lower yields.
Fresh seeds germinate well. It is sometimes recommended to grow the seeds directly in the soil because of the long taproot and transplanting difficulties. Seedlings raised in pots should be out-planted after 14-24 weeks. Air-layering is possible but difficult. ICRAF has developed grafting methods which show a 25% success rate, provided the grafts are not water stressed and that latex does not block the graft-stock union.
The hermaphroditic flowers are usually cross-pollinated, but can be self-pollinated. Insects, especially bees, are important for pollination. Flowering lasts 30-75 days and the fruit takes 4-6 months to develop, reaching maturity early in the rainy season.

The sugary pulp of the fruit makes it attractive to a wide range of animals. A large variety of birds, ungulates and primates, including humans, eat them, dispersing the seed in the process.
The seeds of Vitellaria are recalcitrant; viability falls rapidly a week after removal from the fruit and is lost completely within 3-6 weeks. Ripe fruit that falls directly to the ground germinates easily if the soil is moist, but many seedlings succumb to drought and bush fires. Germination is cryptogeal; that is, the shoots arise from belowground even though the seed germinate on the surface.

Tree management
Wide spacing, site preparation and elimination of weed competition, as well as protection against fire and browsing, are essential. The tree grows relatively slowly at first; growth rates can be accelerated by adding compost and fertilizer. In the Sahel, successful cultivation can be attempted only on sites with a good water supply, for example, along seasonal watercourses. The 1st fruits are borne 3-4 years after flowering, and trees do not start to bear fruit until they are 15-20 years old.

Pests and diseases
Because of its value as a source of oil, Vitellaria has long been an integral component of wooded farmland agriculture. Often, it is the only tree to be spared when woodland is cleared for cultivation. These preserved specimens may be as much as 150-200 years old.
The larvae of Cirina butryospermi, Loranthus spp. and Anarcridium moestum var. melanorgodon cause damage to leaves; larvae of Mussida nigrioella and Ceratiris silverstrii infest the pulp of mature fruits. A plant parasite of the genus Tapinanthus (African mistletoe) is a major cause of tree mortality at the northern limit of the savannah in Burkina Faso and Mali. In general, the parasite reduces the growth of the distal ends of the branches, affects wood quality and increases susceptibility to attack by pathogens. Infestation is also reported to affect fruit production. Pestalotia heterospora and Fusicladium butyrospermi are microorganisms causing leaf-mosaic disease.