Adansonia digitata - Baobab

Adansonia digitata is the Latin name for the African Baobab, an iconic tree of arid regions in Africa that is sometimes called the Monkey Bread Tree, as a traditional gathering and exchange place, or the Ethiopian Sour Gourd because of the bulging appearance of its trunk. While it does not flower or bear fruit in our climates, the potted Baobab retains its characteristic habit and unusual charm, although it has much more modest dimensions. It is easily cultivated indoors, like cacti. The baobab can be taken out onto the patio or balcony as soon as nighttime temperatures are sufficiently high, and should be brought indoors to a heated room from September onwards.

According to classifications, Adansonia digitata belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is a large tree typical of dry wooded savannahs that cover a vast territory from the Sahel in West Africa to the Sahel and South African Transvaal. It provides water and food for a large number of animals and also offers them a preferred habitat. Local human populations also consume its foliage, fruits, and seeds. However, its very spongy wood is unusable. Some specimens can reach the venerable age of 2000 years. In our latitudes, this very frost-sensitive tree is cultivated in pots and is highly appreciated as an indoor bonsai.

In its natural habitat, the African baobab reaches a height of 3 to 20 m (10 to 66ft), depending on the climatic and edaphic conditions. Cultivated in containers and regularly pruned, it will not exceed 2.50 m (8ft) in height with a crown spread of 1.50 m (5ft). This tree develops a massive trunk, the soft and spongy tissues of which serve as water reserves during long periods of drought. The bark is thick, slightly shiny, brown in color, becoming grayish over time. Several large main branches branch off from the trunk, which then branch into smaller and smaller branches. The entire canopy, wide and spread out, somewhat resembles a mass of root hairs. The foliage is deciduous during the dry season, from September to April in its native regions. In our climates, it will be necessary to respect this necessary period of rest for the health of the tree, in order to avoid rotting of the fleshy roots. The leaves, with long petioles, are simple and entire on young specimens, but divided into 5 to 7 leaflets on mature specimens. They are dark green in colour. In its natural environment, flowering occurs on baobabs that are at least 10 years old, just before or at the beginning of the rainy season. It takes the form of curious flowers hanging from long pedicels under the branches. Each flower, 15 cm (6in) wide, consists of a white corolla that surmounts a cluster of pompom-shaped stamens, from which the pistil protrudes. It opens at night and is pollinated by bats called flying foxes, attracted by abundant nectar and its sour and sulphurous scent. After pollination, the fruits, which are edible and oblong in shape, form and are covered by a thick tegument. They contain pulp rich in vitamins and calcium, as well as edible oilseeds.

With its characteristic bottle-shaped silhouette, the African Baobab is a beautiful indoor plant, to be highlighted in a contemporary or exotic-inspired decor. Plant enthusiasts looking for unusual and beautiful plants can also choose agaves, banana trees, or the bird of paradise Strelitzia reginae to add a touch of tropical beauty to their patio or conservatory decor.