Adansonia grandidieri
| Adansonia grandidieri | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Adansonia grandidieri [1] |
| Genus | Adansonia |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Order | Malvales |
| Habit | Deciduous tree [2] |
| Native range | Madagascar [2] |
Adansonia grandidieri is a deciduous baobab of Madagascar. It is associated with dry deciduous forest at low elevations, often near waterholes and rivers, and develops a water-storing, cylindrical bole. The documented range is restricted to southwestern Madagascar. [2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The tree is usually described as reaching up to about 25 m. Its trunk stores water and is cylindrical rather than forming the strongly swollen bottle shape seen in some other baobabs. The fruit is a large, hairy, reddish-brown berry with a fragile wall about 2.5–4 mm thick and many kidney-shaped seeds. [2]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
In its native range, Adansonia grandidieri occurs in dry deciduous forest and is often associated with lowland sites near waterholes or rivers. Cultivation guidance describes moist but well-drained soil, so drainage should remain the controlling requirement: provide access to moisture during active growth without leaving the root zone saturated. Established plants are described as drought tolerant, but that trait does not make a waterlogged container suitable. [2]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
An open, bright position fits the species' dry-deciduous setting. Established plants are described as drought tolerant; young or container-grown plants should still be kept in a free-draining root environment and protected from prolonged wetness. [2]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The species is deciduous, so a seasonal leafless period is part of its normal growth pattern. A practical cultivation translation is to allow a distinctly drier interval during dormancy and to increase available moisture as active growth resumes, while continuing to avoid saturated soil. The timing of that cycle will follow the local temperature and rainfall pattern rather than a single calendar date. [2]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed is the documented propagation route. The fruit contains many seeds, and the species account records fruit collection from the tree or from the ground before seed use. Use seed of known provenance and a free-draining propagation medium. Small, documented propagation trials are preferable to treating a fixed soak or temperature schedule as a species requirement. [2]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Fruit is collected from trees or from the ground. Growers should record local flowering and fruit development rather than rely on a universal calendar. [2]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit pulp is described as edible raw. The reddish-brown outer fruit is hairy and thin-walled, enclosing many kidney-shaped seeds; the seeds are also described as edible raw, and seed oil is given as approximately 36–39% cooking oil in the compiled ethnobotanical account. These are food-use descriptions, not an independent safety assessment. [2]
Container growing[edit | edit source]
A grower in USDA zone 9a described a nearly five-year-old plant a little over 6 ft tall in a 15-gallon pot, with a planned move to a 26.5-gallon pot. The account also mentions root trimming and increased branching and thickening during the growing season. This is one individual container result; it is useful context for planning space, but it is not a general pruning schedule, pot-size rule, or hardiness limit. [3]