Baobab tree

The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar. Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousand years old, although as the wood does not produce annual growth rings, this is impossible to verify. Few botanists believe these claims of extreme age and existing evidence suggests they rarely exceed 400 years.

The Malagasy baobab is an important component of the Madagascar dry forests. The baobab is occasionally said to be an upside down tree, and according to Arabic legend, it was the devil who pulled out the tree and planted it upside down.

There are six baobab species endemic to Madagascar:

Grey baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia madagascariensis
• Malagasy name: Zà-Reniala
• stated as "lower risk/near threatened" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Perrier's baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia perrieri
• Malagasy name:
• stated as "endangered" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Fony baobab or Red baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia rubrostipa
• Malagasy name: Fony
• stated as "lower risk/near threatened" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Suarez baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia suarezensis
• Malagasy name:
• stated as "endangered" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Grandidier's baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia grandidieri
• Malagasy name:
• stated as "endangered" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Baobab

• Scientific name: Adansonia za
• Malagasy name:
• stated as "lower risk/near threatened" in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Additional information

• Baobab Avenue
• BAOBAB, the "Good Giant" A small factsheet from Chocolat Bernrain AG.
• Baobab info-graphic