Adansonia digitata - African Baobab - 5 Seeds + FREE Gifts Seeds + Bonsai eBook, NEW

Adansonia is a genus of eight species of trees. Six species are native to Madagascar; one is native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula with some in India and some in Australia. The mainland African species, Adansonia digitata, also occurs on Madagascar but it is not a native of that island. Adansonia digitata is the only species that is indigenous to South Africa. A typical common name is baobab. Other common names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who first described Adansonia digitata. Adansonia plants reach heights of 5 to 30 m and have trunk diameters of 7 to 11 m. Some baobab trees are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings.

Adansonia digitata is the most widespread of the Adansonia species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. It also grows, having spread secondary to cultivation, in populated areas. English common names include baobab, dead-rat tree (from the appearance of the fruits), monkey-bread tree (the soft, dry fruit is edible), upside-down tree (the sparse branches resemble roots) and cream of tartar tree. Regarded as the largest succulent plant in the world, that makes an impressive bonsai, the baobab tree is steeped in a wealth of mystique, legend and superstition wherever it occurs in Africa and Madagascar. The African baobab's fruit is 15 to 20 cm long. It contains 50% more calcium than spinach, is high in antioxidants, and has three times the vitamin C of an orange. It is sometimes called a “super-fruit”. The leaves can be eaten as relish. The dry pulp is either eaten fresh or dissolved in milk or water to make a refreshing drink.

Young fresh leaves are cooked in a sauce, and sometimes are dried and powdered. The powder is called lalo in Mali and sold in many village markets in Western Africa. Oil extracted by pounding the seeds can be used for cooking but this is not widespread. In 2008, the European Union approved the use and consumption of baobab fruit as an ingredient in smoothies and cereal bars.