Baobab
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Angiosperm
- Order: Malvales
- Family: Malvaceae
- Genus: Adansonia
See also list of plants in the family Malvaceae.
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What is a baobab tree?
Baobabs, from the genus Adansonia, are deciduous trees in the mallow family known for their barrel-like trunks. Of the nine species, six are native to Madagascar, two to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one to northwestern Australia. They are known for their longevity and ethnobotanical importance.
The African baobab (A. digitata) is called the "Tree of Life" and can live for over 1,275 years. It has a water-storing trunk that can reach 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter and 18 meters (59 feet) in height. Its flowers are pollinated by bats and bush babies, and its leaves are edible.
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Where do baobab trees naturally grow?
Baobab trees (genus Adansonia) are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and northwestern Australia. Six species are endemic to Madagascar, two to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one to northwestern Australia.
The African baobab (A. digitata) can be found throughout the drier regions of Africa. The Australian baobab (A. gregorii), also called boab or bottle tree, is found throughout the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
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What do baobab trees look like?
Baobab trees, of the genus Adansonia, are deciduous trees known for their barrel-like trunks. They can be found in Madagascar, mainland Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and northwestern Australia.
The African baobab (A. digitata) has a water-storing trunk that can reach 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter and 18 meters (59 feet) in height. Madagascan baobab species have compact crowns and gray-brown to red trunks that taper or are bottle-shaped, with flowers that range from red to yellow to white. The Australian baobab (A. gregorii) reaches about 12 meters (39 feet) in height and has a swollen trunk and compound leaves that are shed during droughts. It bears large, perfumed white flowers.
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How do baobab trees survive in dry environments?
Baobab trees are well-adapted to survive in dry environments because they can store water in their thick, barrel-like trunks. The African baobab (A. digitata) is known as the "Tree of Life" because its water-storing trunk can reach up to 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter.
Additionally, baobabs have deep roots that can reach permanently moist sand levels, allowing them to thrive even in areas with low precipitation. The Australian baobab (A. gregorii) sheds its compound leaves during drought periods as well. These adaptations allow baobabs to survive and thrive in dry environments.
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Why are baobab trees important to animals and people?
Baobab trees are important to both animals and people because they are extensively used by local populations. Many baobab species have edible leaves and fruits and are important for herbal remedies. The strong fiber from the bark is used to make rope and cloth, and the trees provide raw materials for hunting and fishing tools. Hollowed trunks can serve as water reserves or temporary shelters and have even been used as prisons, burial sites, and stables. The flowers are frequently pollinated by bats, lemurs, and hawk moths.
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What special uses do baobab fruits and leaves have?
Baobab trees are valued for their diverse uses. Many species have edible leaves and fruits, and they are important for herbal remedies. The fruit pulp is tasty and mucilaginous and can be used to make a refreshing drink. Additionally, a strong fiber from the bark is used to make rope and cloth. The gourdlike fruit is also edible and acidic.
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Baobab, (genus Adansonia), genus of nine species of deciduous trees of the mallow family, noted for their unusual barrel-like trunks. Seven species are endemic to Madagascar, one is native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one is native to northwestern Australia. Baobabs are known for their extraordinary longevity and ethnobotanical importance. Given their peculiar shape, an Arabian legend has it that “the devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its branches into the earth, and left its roots in the air.”
All baobab species are extensively used by local peoples. Many species have edible leaves and fruits and are important for a number of herbal remedies. A strong fiber from the bark is used for rope and cloth in many places, and the trees supply raw materials for hunting and fishing tools. Naturally hollow or excavated trunks often serve as water reserves or temporary shelters and have even been used as prisons, burial sites, and stables. The trees are culturally and religiously important in many areas.
The African baobab
- Adansonia bozy
- A. grandidieri, endangered
- A. perrieri, critically endangered
- A. suarezensis, endangered
- A. digitata
- A. gregorii
The African baobab (A. digitata) boasts the oldest known angiosperm tree: carbon-14 dating places the age of a specimen in Namibia at about 1,275 years. Known as the “Tree of Life,” the species is found throughout the drier regions of Africa and features a water-storing trunk that may reach a diameter of 9 meters (30 feet) and a height of 18 meters (59 feet). Older individuals often have huge hollow trunks that are formed by the fusion of multiple stems over time. The tree’s unique pendulous flowers are pollinated by bats and bush babies. Its young leaves are edible, and the large gourdlike woody fruit contains a tasty mucilaginous pulp from which a refreshing drink can be made.
Between 2005 and 2017, researchers reported that 9 of the 13 oldest African baobab specimens and 5 of the 6 largest trees have died or suffered the collapse and death of their largest or oldest stems. Although the scientists suggested these deaths may have been caused by the effects of climate change, subsequent research has not found widespread decline of the species.
In 2012 an upland population of A. digitata was suggested as a new species, A. kilima, but that taxonomic revision has since been rejected by most authorities. .
Madagascan baobabs
The seven Madagascan baobab species feature compact crowns and gray-brown to red trunks that taper from top to bottom or are bottle-shaped to cylindrical. The flowers range from red to yellow to white and have five petals. Some species are pollinated by bats and lemurs, while others rely on hawk moths. Given the threats of habitat loss and their slow generation time, two species (A. grandidieri, and A. suarezensis) are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, including the iconic baobabs of the famous Avenue of the Baobabs (A. grandidieri) in the Menabe region. Human development particularly threatens A. perrieri, which is critically endangered. The three species (A. madagascariensis, A. rubrostipa, and A. za) are considered of “least concern.” In 2026 genetic analysis revealed a new species, A. bozy, as being distinct from A. za; its conservation status has not yet been assessed by the IUCN.
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The Australian boab
The single Australian baobab species, A. gregorii, called boab, or bottle tree, is found throughout the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Reaching heights of about 12 meters (39 feet), the tree features the characteristically swollen trunk of the genus and bears compound leaves that are completely shed during drought periods. The white flowers are large, perfumed, and pollinated by hawk moths. Although that species was once presumed to be a remnant left behind when the Gondwana landmass broke apart 180 million years ago, the fact that the boab has not evolved to be markedly different from other baobabs suggests a much younger age for the species and that the boab originally came to Australia by long-distance seed dispersal from Africa.