Baobab
Adansonia digitata · Malvaceae
📷 Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland · CC BY-SA 2.0
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around baobab and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Common name
- Baobab, Senegal Calabash Tree
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Type
- Tree
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Flowering
- January to February
- Adult height
- Up to 20 m
- Hardiness
- Tropical, sensitive to cold
- Origin
- West and Central Africa
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability low.
Expert tips
The key tip
Let the calabash tree shed its leaves in winter: it's normal and necessary for winter flowering. Keep the soil very dry from November to February, then gradually increase watering in March.
The common mistake
Watering in winter or overwatering in spring before true leaves appear: this suppresses flowering and rots the tree.
The pro's trick
Fertilize in early March with potassium (K) just before flowers; this guarantees dense and early flowering in January-February.
Care
Light
Position your Adansonia digitata in full sun, it's its favorite condition for optimal growth. Direct sunlight throughout the day promotes the development of its massive trunk and flowering. Avoid partial shade which would slow down its growth.
Watering
The baobab is very resistant to drought thanks to its water storage capacity in the trunk. Water regularly during the growing season (spring-summer), then reduce considerably in winter when the plant loses its leaves. In a pot, let the soil dry out between waterings to prevent root rot.
Soil and drainage
Choose a well-draining potting mix, ideally mixed with sand or pumice to recreate the arid conditions of its natural habitat. Excellent drainage is essential as the baobab dislikes stagnant moisture. In the ground, sandy or poor soil works perfectly.
Fertilizer
Apply a balanced or nitrogen-poor fertilizer once or twice during the active growing season. Excess nitrogen promotes lush foliage at the expense of trunk development. Moderate feeding is enough to maintain the tree's vigor.
Pruning and maintenance
Pruning is generally unnecessary except to remove dead or poorly oriented branches. Perform any interventions at the end of the dormant period (early spring). Allow the tree to develop its characteristic natural shape with its flared trunk and spreading branches.
Diseases and pests
In pot cultivation, root rot is the main risk if the soil is too wet. Check the soil regularly and improve drainage if needed. In tropical climates, watch for mealybugs and spider mites, which can be treated with soapy water sprays or neem oil.
Did you know?
Adansonia digitata baobab is one of Africa's most iconic trees, revered as the 'tree of life' by many cultures. Its enormous hollow trunks have long served as natural cisterns and places of refuge, and it can store up to 100,000 liters of water in its fibrous wood. In West Africa, the baobab is also called the 'upside-down tree' because its bare structure in winter, with its spreading branches, looks like roots pointing toward the sky.
Where to buy it
Best planted in autumn so the roots settle in before summer, or in early spring once the frost has passed. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, October, November.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
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Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.