Woody > Adansonia > Adansonia grandidieri > Adansonia grandidieri
Adansonia grandidieri
Giant Baobab, Grandidier’s Baobab
Origin: This tree can be found in the west to south west part of Madagascar. There are many aspects of lore following this tree, such as how the tree was planted upside down by a hyena or other spiritual animals of that region because it looks inverted.
Mike's
Opinion
"
In my opinion this tree is a sight to behold the size alone is amazing. I enjoy the structure of these trees the large tall trunks with the wild root like branches above gives it a unique look. I was pleasantly surprised that it can be made into a bonsai.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Malvaceae |
| Genus |
| Adansonia |
| Species |
| grandidieri |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season. protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1a - H1b |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 10 - 30 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 50 - 86 |
| Height |
| 25 - 30 m |
| Spread |
| 15 - 20 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Cylindrical trunk roughly 3 m across and growing towards 25 – 30 m tall with smooth reddish-grey bark. It has green palmate leaves with a blue tinge, flowers with white petals, and oval fruit that is edible and very nutritious. It is considered an endangered species. |
| Landscape |
| Found in the south western side of Madagascar within dry areas of forest and in between the open farmland. Can be used as a bonsai in a greenhouse or as a houseplant. |
| Cultivation |
| Most often grew nearby sources of water in dry areas of deciduous forests with direct light, but now can be found in the areas between growing agriculture. Has evolved to withstand quite dry areas, high temperatures and poor precipitation year-round. Begins to leaf in the autumn to spring months then flowers in the summer months starting in May. The flowers open around when the sun goes down when the nocturnal pollinators are out such as moths and lemurs. Would not do well in urban environments because of its size. |
| Shape |
| Tall cylinder-shaped trunk with root like branches and foliage at the top of the tree. the bonsai is a much smaller scale of the tree but still maintains the shape of it. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Has a large trunk, smooth reddish grey bark. Large green blueish palmate leaves, round brown buds with white flowers well in bloom near dusk. Has greyer bark when younger turning reddish with age. Looks as if planted upside down. Holds a lot of water in its trunk to withstand the dry months. |
| Pests |
| The largest threat to the tree is humans over loss of habitat for farmland, fires to clear space for cattle, consumption of fruit, use of its wood building material and bark for medicine. This has brought it to the endangered list with only one million mature trees left. |
| Habitat |
| Found near farmland or in more remote forests by a source of water in dry western parts of Madagascar. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| At a young age the tree as smooth grey bark that still maintains its cylinder shape into adulthood where it begins to turn more reddish grey. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The flower buds are large round and brown that have an almost felt like appearance at the end of the branch. The leaf buds are also brown but much smaller compared to the flower bud and are in bunches about two to five. |
| Leaf Description |
| This tree has Blueish green palmately compound, lanceolate leaves with and acute apices and acute base. As well as Pinnate venation with palmate leaf margins. The five to seven leaflets are around 11cm in length and around 5cm at the widest point. The leaves appear in the month between October and May. |
| Flower Description |
| The flower for this tree has a brown bud before blooming during the summer months of May to August when in bloom they are large white flowers with multiple petals and many stamens. They bloom when it begins to get darker for one of the ways the get pollinated is by nocturnal mammals and insects, such as lemurs and moths. The flowers when they bloom have been said to have a sour watermelon smell to them. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit of this tree can be seen in during November and December. They are a fuzzy green but when they begin to ripen, they turn into brown pods about the size of a baseball. They contain very oil rich seeds and a tasty filling. People harvest the by building ladders into the tree, this does damage the tree. |
| Colour Description |
| The leaves are a blueish green most of the time they turn brown when the dry season starts. The bark starts out as a slightly dark grey but once it begins to mature it turns to a redder colour. The fruit starts out green then turns to a fuzzy brown when ripen. Then the flowers begin as brown buds and when in bloom they’re white and turn to a more yellow white when they age and fall off. |
| Texture Description |
| From the look of it this tree seems to have a rougher texture but still smooth and a smoother texture once matured. Texture seems to stay consistent throughout the year. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The best place to find these trees would be in Madagascar in their natural habitat in the western part of the country. |
| Propagation |
| Remove the seed from the fruit, soak the seeds in hot water to help break the shell for 24 hours. Should be planted in well draining soil about 5 cm deep during the spring and summer months, water regularly. Place seed trays in a warm semi-shaded spot. Germination should take about 2 to 6 weeks. Once the plant is about 5 cm tall transplant into separate pots with sandy soil and compost. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| It is used for its oil rich seeds for cooking or cosmetics. The fruit of the tree is harvested and eaten as it is very nutritious. The bark fibre is used as a building material for the local homes and the bark itself is used as form of medicine. And finally, the wood is also used as building material. |
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