Baobabs: what are they and characteristics

Its scientific name is Adansonia , the genus that includes the 8 species of baobab, all belonging to the Malvaceae family. It is also known as monkey bread or tree planted upside down , and legend has it that it was such a highly conceited tree that a god turned it over to punish it, hence its unique appearance, in which it seems that the highest part of the tree are its roots, and that the crown is buried.

The baobab tree has a tropical or subtropical climate in all its species, since they all belong to semi-arid areas of Australia, Madagascar and Africa, the best known being the African baobab. These are the baobab species :

Adansonia digitata

This is the specifically called monkey bread, a tree with a massive trunk native to the south of the Sahara and also the best known of the baobab. It reaches heights of up to 25 meters , but the most remarkable thing is its trunk, with a circumference that can exceed 40 meters . Its flowers are large and white, giving rise to fruits that are reminiscent of small melons.

Adansonia grandidieri

This is the baobab that reaches the highest height, reaching up to 30 meters and sometimes a little more. Its trunk, cylindrical in shape and smooth bark, is about 3 meters in diameter and produces highly aromatic cream-colored flowers that give rise to ovoid fruits with a high content of vitamin C. It is an endangered species.

Adansonia gregorii

The only natural species in Australia, which is also commonly called the Australian boab or baobab , although there it is also called the dead rat tree or bottle tree, due to the shape of its trunk. It reaches heights of up to 10 meters, with a trunk that can exceed 5 meters in diameter.

Adansonia madagascariensis

It reaches heights of up to 25 meters, although the usual thing is that it stays well below it, reaching its trunk a thickness of up to 6 meters or more. Its flowers are pink, and it stands out for being able to enter the sea a few meters.

Adansonia perrieri

Another species that, like the previous one, is typical of Madagascar, and of which very few specimens remain, as it is in serious danger of extinction.

Adansonia rubrostipa

The smallest of the Adansonia is a tree that is usually found at heights of around 5 meters , although it can quadruple this measure in some individuals. It is known for attracting lemurs, who come to feed on its fruits.

Adansonia suarezensis

It is popularly known as the Suarez baobab and is in danger of extinction. Its trunk is quite thin for a baobab, growing up to 2 meters in diameter, and reaching heights of up to 25 meters.

Adansonia za

With a cylindrical and irregular trunk, it reaches 10 meters in diameter and 30 meters in height. The baobab Adansonia za flower is orange in shades and appears in spring.

After knowing all these species of baobab, we advise you to read this other article about What are trees, their characteristics, types and parts .

These are the main characteristics of baobab trees :

• These are trees that stand out, above all, for the great thickness of their trunks , which in some species and cases can exceed 11 meters on average and even reach more than 40 meters.
• These trunks usually grow pillar-shaped, with smooth bark and no branches to the top.
• They are deciduous trees, which produce flowers and fruits in the rainy season and lose their leaves in the dry season.
• What are the baobab leaves like ? Those of the adult tree are compound, with 5 to 11 leaflets, although in young trees these are simple.
• The fruit of the baobab , which is also called monkey bread , reaches 45 centimeters and its pulp is edible for humans and many other animals and is very rich in nutrients, especially fiber. If you want to discover more strange fruits, we encourage you to read this other post about 30 rare tropical fruits .
• Some baobabs are known to hollow out inside as they grow and mature, becoming huge reservoirs of water, some being able to accumulate up to 6,000 liters of water in the baobabs .

To discuss where baobabs are found , we are going to divide them into three main groups:

• The Adansonia digitata , which is the African baobab grows to the south of the Sahara .
• The Adansonia gregorii species are from the baobabs that grow in Australia .
• The rest are all endemic species of baobabs all growing in Madagascar .

Therefore, you can see baobabs in Madagascar, Australia and in the South of the Sahara that grow naturally.

When rainfall is between 300 and 500 mm per year, and in tropical or subtropical climates with light soil and high drainage, these trees have a life expectancy of about 1,000 years . However, specimens of more than 4,000 years of life have been found , making it one of the oldest trees on the planet.

Finally, here below you will see a gallery of images of baobabs . If you have liked discovering these curious trees, do not miss our article on the Giant Sequoias: characteristics, where they are and photos .