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Baobab

Adansonia za

Also called Za Baobab

Baobab
Photo: Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 3.0

Adansonia za is a large, thick-trunked deciduous baobab tree from Madagascar, reaching 10 to 40 metres tall. It is grown in warm, dry climates and needs full sun and very little water.

Family
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out fully between waterings; cut back in cold or dormant periods.
Soil
Free-draining sandy or gritty mix with good drainage.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Hard
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Native range
W. & S. Madagascar
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Adansonia za is a species of baobab in the genus Adansonia of the family Malvaceae (previously included in the Bombacaceae). It was originally named in French as anadzahé. Common names in Malagasy include bojy, boringy, bozy, bozybe, ringy, and za, the last of which gives the plant its specific epithet. Eight Adansonia species are recognized, with six endemic to Madagascar. Adansonia za is the most widespread of the Madagascar endemics.

Where it grows

Adansonia za is endemic to southern and north-western Madagascar. Populations are severely fragmented and numbers are declining due to habitat loss and logging.

Uses

The fruit pulp and roots of seedlings as well as the seeds are edible. Seeds contain 11% oil. Wood may be fed to cattle during droughts and the trunk can be hollowed out to store water. The bark fibre can be use for cloth or rope and the flowers may be used to sooth sore throats.

Other Adansonia plants

African Baobab · Grandidier's Baobab · Boab · Baobab · Baobab · Baobab

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Adansonia za by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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