Common Name(s): Baobab

Synonym(s):

Family: Malvaceae

Native To: Madagascar

Native Habitat: Arid scrubland

Growth Habit: Large tree, thick-stemmed (pachycaul)

Flowering: August

Distinguishing Characteristics: The trunk and branches have a brownish-rose colored hue. The tree is wide at the base and grows to a narrow point towards the top of the tree. Leaves are palmately lobed with up to 5 lobes per leaf. The flower buds are long green cylinders which can resemble oversized beans and could be mistaken for a fruit. The bud opens with the curling back of the outside layer of the flower bud, revealing orange petals up to 4 in long, and yellowish stamens. The flowers are musty-sweet scented. Fruit is usually ovoid with a markedly thickened peduncle. Our tree has not been observed to produce fruit, as it is the only mature individual known in Tucson, and may require pollen from a different individual to produce fruit.

Natural History and Cultivation Notes: The genus name, Adansonia, honors the French naturalist Michael Adanson, 1727-1806. This is the only plant with the peculiar species name za, which is the Malagasy name used for the tree in the southern region of its native Madagascar. It is also called Zabe ("Big za") in the south and Bozy (or Bojy) in the north. Adansonia za is the most widespread baobab of Madagascar, occurring in the south, the west and the northwest parts of the island. The tree reaches 30 meters tall, usually with a single trunk, which is cylindrical and slightly tapered, not as fat and bottle-shaped as some other baobabs. The flowers open at dusk and fall by the following afternoon. In Madagascar they are likely pollinated by hawkmoths, but are also visited by nectar-drinking nocturnal lemurs.

Warren Jones, Professor Emeritus in Landscape Architecture, was responsible for installing this tree on campus in the late 1960's. It is considered to be the first one of its species to be planted in North America. After 30 years it began to flower regularly - usually in August. Although the UA Adansonia za is almost 50 feet tall, it is just a “sprout” compared to its potential height of 100 ft. Despite this, this particular Adansonia za is considered to be the largest in North America. Growing in a protected SW exposure next to the Administration Building, it is seemingly oblivious to the class changes, conversations, and cell phones.

Ethnobotany: Little is known about the human exploitation of Adansonia za. Seeds are eaten and the trunk is sometimes hollowed out as a cistern for storing water. It has a limited use as an ornamental, and is not commonly cultivated in our area. Specimens of flowering size are quite rare in cultivation. This may be the only one of its size in North America.

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