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Revered by native African peoples and famous for works of literature such as The Little Prince, baobabs are trees surrounded by solemn majesty that is awe-inspiring and hard to forget. Their enormous proportions, their unique appearance in the world and their almost mythical longevity make them some of the most impressive vegetables on our planet.
If you want to learn more about what type of tree the baobab is, join us in this Green Ecologist article in which we will travel in search of one of the largest trees in the world. Discover what are baobabs and their characteristics, as well as a gallery of baobab images, next.
What are baobabs and species
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 the legend says that it was such an extremely presumptuous tree, that a god turned it around to punish it, hence its unique aspect, in which it seems that the highest part of the tree is its roots, and that the crown is buried.
The baobab tree is from tropical or subtropical climate in all its species, since they all belong to semi-arid areas of Australia, Madagascar and Africa, with the African baobab being the best known. These are the baobab species:
Adansonia digitata
This is specifically called pan del mono, a tree with a massive trunk native to the south of the Sahara and also the best known of the baobab trees. Reach 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, growing up to 30 meters and sometimes something else. 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, also commonly called boab or australian 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 this, its trunk reaching 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 commonly found at heights of around 5 meters, although this measure can be quadrupled in some individuals. It is known to attract 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 flower Adansonia za It is of orange tones 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.
Baobab characteristics
These are the main characteristics of baobabs trees:
- These are trees that stand out, above all, for the great thickness of their trunks, which in some species and cases exceeds the 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 baobab fruit, 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 in fibers. 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 of which can accumulate up to 6,000 liters of water. water in the baobabs.
Where do baobabs grow
To comment where are the baobabs found, we are going to divide them into three main groups:
- The Adansonia digitata, which is the African baobab, grows at south of the sahara.
- The species Adansonia gregorii 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.
How many years does a baobab tree live
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, making it one of the oldest trees on the planet.
To finish, here below you will see a baobabs image gallery. If you liked discovering these curious trees, do not miss our article on the Giant Sequoias: characteristics, where they are and photos.
If you want to read more articles similar to Baobabs: what are they and characteristicsWe recommend that you enter our Nature Curiosities category.
Photos of Baobabs: what they are and characteristics
