Boswellia sacra is the primary tree in the genus Boswellia from which frankincense, a resinous dried sap, is harvested.
Boswellia sacra is a tree with papery, peeling bark and leaves clustered at the ends of tangled branches. It has compound leaves and an odd number of leaflets, which grow opposite to one another along its branches. Its tiny flowers, a yellowish white, are gathered in axillary clusters composed of five petals, ten stamens and a cup with five teeth. Boswellia Sacra trees are considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that they sometimes grow out of solid rock. The initial means of attachment to the rock is unknown but is accomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk.
Similar plants: