Giant · Medicinal
Baobab
Adansonia digitata L.
FamilyMalvaceae
Españolto add
AlsoAfrican baobab, Upside-down tree, Monkey bread, Cream of tartar tree
A massive, fat-trunked tree of dry African grasslands and woodlands, with a trunk girth commonly 3–10 m and occasionally far more. The thick, fibrous trunk stores water and resists fire, termites and drought, and its bare branches in the dry season give it the look of a tree planted upside down. Large white flowers hang singly on long stalks and are followed by hairy, gourd-like fruits with a dry, powdery, sour pulp.
Sourced · see Record tab Not Evaluated (IUCN Red List, via GBIF). · IUCN
Worth knowingBaobabs store water in their swollen trunks to survive drought, which makes them a target for thirsty elephants. Radiocarbon dating has shown that very large African baobabs can be extremely old, and the species is protected under South Africa's Forest Act of 1941.
4on the estate
3carrying a tag
1sponsored
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 241 | Baobab Enclave | B | 17 June 2016 | Healthy | Michael L., Germany | |
| 242 | Baobab Enclave | B | 17 June 2016 | Healthy | — | |
| 243 | Baobab Enclave | B | 17 June 2016 | Healthy | — | |
| — | — | — | 24 May 2018 | Planted | — |
1 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.