The African Baobab is one of the largest trees to ever exist. It is recognizable by its unusually massive trunk. It is native to Madagascar, Australia, and Africa where it survives by storing water in its trunk which can grow to 10-14m (33-46ft) in diameter. In recent years, the baobab has been dying due to climate change creating droughts in its already arid environment, which leave the tree without any water to store.
Interesting Properties
- The baobab trunk can hold 120,000 liters (32,000 gal) of water.
- Hollowed baobab trunks can be so large, they have been used as schools, prisons, a bus shelter, pubs, and homes.
- The oldest known baobab lived for 2,419 years.
- The baobab is one of the largest tree species in the world in terms of trunk, limb, and crown size.
Look up the best growing conditions for your area and plan ahead to be sure you have a LOT of space for it in a few years. Vial includes 3 baobab seeds
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10–12
Can be grown in other zones in pots indoors (outdoors is fine if you bring it in during the winter). It will be several years until this plant is too large to be kept indoors. Keep the pot at least room temperature. Placing it in a sunlit window works well.
There are many variations online of "the best way" to sow these seeds, but here's what worked perfectly for us:
- Soak the seeds in water for at least 24 hours.
- Plant in well-draining sand/soil mix about 1 cm deep.
- Cover the pot with plastic wrap. We used a plastic container with a translucent lid to trap in moisture and heat (like a tiny greenhouse).
- Leave pot covered for 2 weeks.
- Seeds sprout in 2–4 days.
- We uncovered our pot once a leaf developed.
