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Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab

Adansonia madagascariensis
Madagascan Baobab

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This Madagascan Baobab is characterised by a massive trunk with a variable, cylindrical to swollen appearance, topped with a sparse and very irregular canopy, reminiscent of roots. Its leaves, deciduous, fall during the dry season. Its flowers are upright and pink-red in colour with long yellow stamens. They are very rarely observed in our climate. Very sensitive to cold, the baobab cannot tolerate temperatures below 10°C (50°F), but it is easy to cultivate in a pot. Provide it with a well-draining soil and a dry rest period between September-October and mid-April.
Flower size
10 cm
Height at maturity
20 m
Spread at maturity
15 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to 10°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil
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Best planting time March to October
Recommended planting time January to December
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Flowering time April to May
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Description

Adansonia madagascariensis is a baobab tree found in Madagascar and Mayotte. It is an imposing tree, distinguished from its close relative A. grandidieri by a less regular habit and red flowers. Its silhouette is typical, with a massive trunk that is more or less swollen, topped with branches resembling roots. The baobab is very sensitive to cold and does not flower or produce fruit in our climate, but it can be easily grown in a container: place it indoors from September-October to April, and take it out on the patio or balcony from May to August.

 

According to classifications, Adansonia madagascariensis belongs to the family Malvaceae. It is a large tree that reaches or exceeds 25 m (82ft) in height, and its trunk, with varying appearance, can reach several metres in diameter. This very sensitive tree suffers as soon as temperatures drop below 10 or 12°C (50 or 53.6°F).

Cultivated in a container and regularly pruned, it will not exceed 2.50 m (8ft) in height and will have a crown width of 1.50 m (5ft). This tree develops a very thick trunk, cylindrical or bottle-shaped, with soft and spongy tissues that serve as water reserves during the long periods of drought it endures in its native country. The bark is thick, slightly shiny, and grey in colour. From the trunk, a few large main branches branch out and become thinner branches and twigs. The entire canopy has an irregular shape. The leaves are deciduous during the dry season, from September-October to April in their native regions. In our climate, it will be necessary to respect this period of necessary rest for the health of the tree, to avoid the rotting of the fleshy roots. The leaves are long-petioled, simple and entire on young specimens, but divided into 5 to 7 ovate and pointed leaflets on mature specimens. They are medium green in colour and arranged spiralled on the branches. In its natural habitat, flowering occurs on baobabs that are at least 10 years old, just before or at the beginning of the rainy season. The flowers appear on pedicels and each flower, about 10 cm (4in) wide, consists of a dark red-pink corolla of sepals, hanging down and surrounding a cluster of yellow stamens, from which the pistil emerges. After pollination, oblong-rounded fruits, 10 cm (4in) long, covered by a thick tegument, are formed.

 

With its characteristic bottle-shaped silhouette, the Baobab of Madagascar is a beautiful indoor plant that can be showcased in a contemporary or exotic-inspired decor. Plant enthusiasts looking for unusual and beautiful plants can also adopt agaves, banana trees, or even the bird of paradise Strelitzia reginae to bring a beautiful tropical touch to the patio or veranda decor.

 

Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab in pictures

Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab (Flowering) Flowering
Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab (Foliage) Foliage
Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab (Plant habit) Plant habit

Plant habit

Height at maturity 20 m
Spread at maturity 15 m
Habit spreading
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour red
Flowering time April to May
Flower size 10 cm
Fruit colour green

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Adansonia

Species

madagascariensis

Family

Bombacaceae (Malvaceae)

Other common names

Madagascan Baobab

Origin

Madagascar

Product reference898791

Other Adansonia

5
From €20.50 4L/5L pot

Planting and care

Plant your baobab all year round. It can only be grown in a pot or container in our climate. The plant can spend the summer outdoors, but should be brought indoors to a very bright room as soon as the night time temperatures drop below 10°C (50°F) (usually in September, or October in the south of our country). Indeed, the baobab is a tree of a very warm climate, governed by two distinct seasons: the rainy season, from May to September-October, and the dry season from November to April. It cannot tolerate any frost and requires a long period of rest, in a dry environment.

The baobab requires a very well-draining soil, sandy or rocky. You can use cactus soil, and a large pot of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) in all directions, with drainage holes at the bottom. Do not place a saucer under the pot. The baobab should be placed in a very sunny location from May to September-October. Capable of storing water when it is available, it requires very limited and seasonal watering: once a week with a little fertilizer from May until the leaves fall in autumn, and no watering from November to April, a period when it lives off its reserves. Without a dry period, the roots rot, leading to the death of the plant. This small tree is not afraid of the dry air in our heated houses and apartments. It tolerates pruning well, which helps to limit its growth: a short pruning of the branches allows the trunk to grow faster. By pinching the tips of the young shoots, it will branch out more quickly.

Indoors, be careful of mite attacks. Simply spray the foliage to make them disappear.

Planting period

Best planting time March to October
Recommended planting time January to December

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Container
Hardiness Hardy down to 10°C (USDA zone 12) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Any
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Well-drained, sandy (cactus soil).

Care

Pruning instructions The baobab tree tolerates pruning well, which helps to control its growth: in winter, a short pruning of the branches allows the trunk to grow faster. By pinching the tips of the young shoots in spring, it will branch out more quickly.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time January to February, May
Soil moisture Dry soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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