Adansonia madagascariensis - Madagascar baobab

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.