Tropical grasslands tend to have more trees than temperate grasslands, however tropical grasslands lack colorful flowering plants that grow abundantly in temperate grasslands. Still, the concentrations of trees in the tropical grasslands are low and, typically, scattered.

In Africa, plant tendencies can be described by the different parts of a savanna. Savannas relatively close to rain forests are usually a mix of savanna and forest. Tree concentrations in these areas are very dense and grass can grow several feet (2 meters) tall. Fire resistant trees and shrubs are the main vegetation in these areas, because farmers or herders burned most of the other plants.

The next part of a savanna is called the wooded savanna. Here, fire resistant trees and shrubs are not as dense, and grasses are not as tall. Winds and tall grazing animals like giraffes, trim trees and grasses. Here, some plants like acacia bushes grow thorns to dissuade grazers from eating them.

The next part of the savanna is much drier and hotter than the wooded savanna. It is appropriately named the dry savanna. This area is dominated by drought resistant trees and shrubs and ground covered in stiff, dry, short, brown grass. One fire and drought resistant tree found in the dry savanna is the baobab tree. During times of drought, the tree stores water in its large and odd shaped trunk. Sometimes it even loses it leaves to prevent evaporation. When summer rains arrive, the tree grows leaves again.

Wooded and grassy steppe areas are even drier than the dry savanna. Only tussocks and short, thorned trees grow here.