Baobab Tree
(Adansonia za)
SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING


Walk back to Map Chart
1 This is the most widespread Baobab tree in Madagascar. Ours is flowering size, and possibly the largest cultivated specimen in North America. But it is still young. Ancient plants in habitat may reach 30 meters tall. The tree flowers sparingly in summer, with large yellow-orange blossoms.



In
Depth 		Adansonia za, Baobab Tree

Location: Southwest corner of the Administration Building near the stairs.

FAMILY: Bombacaceae

DISTRIBUTION: Madagascar

HABITAT: arid scrubland

HABIT: large tree, thick-stemmed (pachycaul)

FLOWERING: our tree flowers with the summer rains in August.

Natural History Notes: The genus name, Adansonia, honors the French naturalist Michael Adanson, 1727-1806. This is the only plant with the peculiar species name za, which is the Malagasy name used for the tree in the southern region of its native Madagascar. It is also called Zabe ("big za") in the south and Bozy (or Bojy) in the north. Adansonia za is the most widespread baobab of Madagascar, occurring in the south, the west and the northwest parts of the island. The tree reaches 30 meters tall, usually with a single trunk, which is cylindrical and slightly tapered, not as fat and bottle-shaped as some other baobabs. The flowers open at dusk and fall by the following afternoon. In Madagascar they are likely pollinated by hawkmoths, but are also visited by nectar-drinking nocturnal lemurs. Distinguishing Characteristics: The trunk and branches have a brownish-rose colored hue. The tree is wide at the base and grows to a narrow point towards the top of the tree. Leaves are palmately lobed with up to 5 lobes per leaf. The flower buds are long green cylinders which can resemble oversized beans and could be mistaken for a fruit. The bud opens with the curling back of the outside layer of the flower bud, revealing orange petals up to 4 in long, and yellowish stamens. The flowers are musty-sweet scented. Fruit is usually ovoid with a markedly thickened peduncle. Our tree has not been observed to produce fruit, as it is the only mature individual known in Tucson, and may require pollen from a different individual to produce fruit. Human Uses: Little is known about the human exploitation of Adansonia za. Seeds are eaten and the trunk is sometimes hollowed out as a cistern for storing water. It has a limited use as an ornamental, and is not commonly cultivated in our area. Specimens of flowering size are quite rare in cultivation. This may be the only one of its size in North America.