anyone growing baobabs (outside Madagascar)?@

[Sandy Loam]

....if so, please post your progress photos.

[Palmaceae]

I just bought one, going to plant it tomorrow. No pictures yet but it is small.

[Xerarch]

There is one at the U of A is Tucson

http://arboretum.arizona.edu/heritage-trees

Edited November 9, 2015 by Xerarch

[Loxahatchee Adam]

Baobabs are amazingly fast growing when put in the ground small from seed.  I have Adansonia madagascariensis and perrieri from seed and they've both grown several feet in one year.  I also have A. digitata, za, and fony growing here also.  Maybe 6-8 ft tall.   I'll take and post some pics tomorrow.   Baobabs are so hardy in nursery pots for such a long time (and they fatten up that way), that their natural growth rate isn't often reached.  I've seen them in pots with just a root blob and barely any dirt and they do ok.  

[Josh-O]

I WOULD LOVE TO PLANT ONE IF I KNEW WHERE I COULD FIND ONE IN CALIFORNIA FOR SALE?

[Loxahatchee Adam]

Josh, the seeds are readily available online, they store for long periods of time, they germinate in a few days when the seed coat is nicked (I've always used toenail clippers with good success), and they grow rapidly.  

[Loxahatchee Adam]

Here are the pictures. 

This is Adansonia perrieri on April 19, 2015.  It's the only Baobab I've seen with crinkly leaves.

 

Here is the same tree on Nov 10, 2015 (starting to drop its leaves for the winter)  It's about 7 ft tall now

 

 

All the rest of the photos were taken today, Nov 10, 2015    Some of them are leafless for winter already.

 

Adansonia Za

 

Adansonia Digitata (it tilted over in a storm, then I cut broken leader off to see if the side branch would go vertical and take over.....still in that project and probably need to crank on it with some tied)

 

 

Adansonia fony/rubrostipa

 

Adansonia grandidieri

 

Adansonia gregorii

 

Adansonia samibarensis (supposedly)

 

[trioderob]

bichin thread - sign me up for one

[bubba]

Gigantic ancient Baobabs growing wild down here across the fruited plain.

[Ben in Norcal]

There are seedlings for sale on eBay.

[The Silent Seed]

I always have a few Adansonia species growing here in Mass. They do great in pots. 

Edited November 14, 2015 by santoury

[Al in Kona]

There is a native Baobab - Cavanillesia arborea - in South America too.  It grows in a semi-arid region in Central Brazil in the state of Bahia.  Anybody tried growing it?  Or anybody know where seeds might be available?  I'd love to try grow it.

[The Silent Seed]

Never heard of that - Those are hot! I'd love to find seeds too! Especially before they're all cut up. 

[Loxahatchee Adam]

I've never heard of Cavanillesia trees referred to as Baobabs, only Adansonia as such, but every region has their own names.  Both genuses are in the Bombacaceae family and they both have relatively smooth, fatty trunks with light wood.  

Here's my Cavanillesia platanifolia.  It's just over 8 ft tall.

Cavanillesia arborea.  The top snapped off when a flying something hit it in a storm.  It grew 2 new leaders from the break point and I cut the one off earlier this year.  That is the kink there.  Invasive Sri Lanka Weevils aggressively eat these (and all Bombacaceae) leaves....even with systemics and foliar contact insecticides.

The Cavanillesia seeds are housed in a large paper-winged fruit.  They are very showy and colorful when fresh on the tree.  The fruit/pulp.much that surrounds the seed in the center is like a thick gel when fresh and wet.  The seeds readily germinate in this.  I doubt there is much viability from stored seeds.

[Zeeth]

Awesome trees, Adam! Those are gonna look so awesome in a few decades. 

[bgl]

Baobab trees are truly impressive and amazing looking trees. On our recent trip to Madagascar, Kim and I visited Morondava on the west coast, and spent a good amount of time a bit inland from Morondava, enjoying the incredible sight of hundreds and hundreds of baobab trees sprinkled all over a large area there. The most famous part is what's commonly referred to as The Avenue of the Baobabs. I understand these are Adansonia grandidieri. Incidentally, impressive as they are, I am not planning on growing any baobabs in my garden. A bit of patience is required - we were told most of these trees are upwards of 500 years old.

[The Silent Seed]

Are there any animals that depend upon living inside Baobabs? You would think so, but I never hear, or read, about this - other than the occasional coincidential example. 

[waykoolplantz]

we got the Bob bug a few years before Adam...but share some of the same sources.

 

 

[waykoolplantz]

a couple more

 

[Cindy Adair]

I am enjoying a few minutes of free wi fi sitting in the picturesque town square of Las Marías, PR where I drive to get my mail. Good chance to check out PalmTalk.

I love these trees! Thanks for all the photos of all the different species!

Sadly I did not get to the west coast of Madagascar so thanks so much for sharing those gorgeous photos Bo!

And Mike, I do remember admiring your fantastic trees when you treated me and Lucinda to a tour and dinner last year!

I have one struggling Adansonia digitata I grew from seed while still in Virginia. It was one of two that survived to go into the ground here and has struggled for some reason. I lost one and it is only maybe two feet tall after several years in the ground. Too much water maybe?

I have seen ones that have at least the typical trunk shape in Mayaguez,PR, but I get more rain than that city about 25 minutes away. 

I do have a small Canoe tree (in a pot still) and there are nice big specimens at TARS (Tropical Agricultural Research Station) worth seeing along with the Baobabs.

[Josh-O]

On 11/15/2015, 12:49:59, bgl said:

Baobab trees are truly impressive and amazing looking trees. On our recent trip to Madagascar, Kim and I visited Morondava on the west coast, and spent a good amount of time a bit inland from Morondava, enjoying the incredible sight of hundreds and hundreds of baobab trees sprinkled all over a large area there. The most famous part is what's commonly referred to as The Avenue of the Baobabs. I understand these are Adansonia grandidieri. Incidentally, impressive as they are, I am not planning on growing any baobabs in my garden. A bit of patience is required - we were told most of these trees are upwards of 500 years old.

awesome pic's Bo  

[Gtlevine]

I planted Adansonia grandidierii a couple years ago here in So Cal. It is slow but seems to be going along.

[Mark lasvegas]

Kinda looks like someone pulled 30 ton carrots out of the ground, and shoved them back in, backyards.

[Palmaceae]

Here is mine, Adansonia digitata.

 

[Tracy]

On 11/17/2015, 7:59:28, Gtlevine said:

I planted Adansonia grandidierii a couple years ago here in So Cal. It is slow but seems to be going along.

bumping this for a status update here in Southern California.  Post a photo if you can, and it would be nice to see what it looked like in 2015 as well as now.

[Missi]

On 11/14/2015, 6:45:33, Loxahatchee Adam said:

I've never heard of Cavanillesia trees referred to as Baobabs, only Adansonia as such, but every region has their own names.  Both genuses are in the Bombacaceae family and they both have relatively smooth, fatty trunks with light wood.  

Here's my Cavanillesia platanifolia.  It's just over 8 ft tall.

Cavanillesia arborea.  The top snapped off when a flying something hit it in a storm.  It grew 2 new leaders from the break point and I cut the one off earlier this year.  That is the kink there.  Invasive Sri Lanka Weevils aggressively eat these (and all Bombacaceae) leaves....even with systemics and foliar contact insecticides.

The Cavanillesia seeds are housed in a large paper-winged fruit.  They are very showy and colorful when fresh on the tree.  The fruit/pulp.much that surrounds the seed in the center is like a thick gel when fresh and wet.  The seeds readily germinate in this.  I doubt there is much viability from stored seeds.

What a beautiful property you have! How did your Bombacaceae fare Irma? Also, thank you for sharing about the weevil! I was wondering what was tearing up my Bombax ceiba and Ceiba speciosas' leaves. Just terrible. I wonder why systemics don't get them under control?

 

On 11/17/2015, 11:36:27, waykoolplantz said:

we got the Bob bug a few years before Adam...but share some of the same sources.

 

 

Oh wow! How old are these trees?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

We germinated a dozen of these but they froze all the way down in the greenhouse this winter and 5 came back and are 3' tall. They are less hardy than bananas. 

[The Silent Seed]

Cindy,

What's a "canoe tree?" That doesn't seem to bring up anything relevant when googling it. 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

We germinated a dozen of these but they froze all the way down in the greenhouse this winter and 5 came back and are 3' tall. They are less hardy than bananas.

Which species are you referring to?  I ask because I just planted Adasonia digitata last night.  Realistically, I don't have space for it in the place I planted it.  It's fair to say that in my lifetime, it will likely just be renting space before it has to be removed or moved at a later date.  Either that, or I'll have to try to buy out my neighbor behind me to accommodate it.

[epiphyte]

In this gallery there are a couple photos of orchids growing on baobabs.  

Tracy, I'm very intrigued by that bromeliad cluster.  Can I trade you an Aloe pluridens for an offshoot?  

[Gonzer]

9 hours ago, santoury said:

Cindy,

What's a "canoe tree?" That doesn't seem to bring up anything relevant when googling it. 

Simply a tree whose trunk can be carved into a canoe. There are many trees who have that distinction.

[The Silent Seed]

Thanks Gonzer, 

Cindy's comment sparked my curiosity based on it seemingly being a specific type as per her comment as pasted below. I know a lot of trees are used in making canoes - and many aren't even fat. Birches, for instance. 

I do have a small Canoe tree (in a pot still) and there are nice big specimens at TARS (Tropical Agricultural Research Station) worth seeing along with the Baobabs.

 

 

[Peter]

For birch trees, it's only the bark that is used for making canoes.

[The Silent Seed]

Yes, however it is called a "Canoe Tree" most often by google. 

Maybe Cindy has a birch……..

[Silas_Sancona]

^^ While not a 100% positive id, its possible the "Canoe"Tree" Cindy was referring to is Cavanillesia platanifolia. Did a quick search after seeing her reference of trees located at the Tropical Ag. Research Station. This species came up.

Further detective work suggests this sp. is a likely candidate for building such boats from where it grows ( near rivers, large bodies of water, etc) in Panama. Trunks of native sp. of Sterculia have been referenced as possible candidates for canoe building in Panama as well.

[XYZ]

Cannot speak to Old World canoe trees, but all of the giant Malvaceae that occur in LatAm fit the bill, so IME this is a catch-all, not a specific vernacular, term. While easy to hollow out, they are not especially hard wearing. Some of the easily-carved large precious hardwoods, like Cedrela and Swietenia are also favored by rivermen where they are still common.

As an interesting anecdote, some Amazon region naturalists/foresters/botanists say that a riparian forest patch is "canoe paddled out" when all the large and medium-sized buttresses on canopy trees have all been chopped out. These trees will either die standing or topple in storms, giving what is often an "old" forest the look of a secondary forest. The advantage of these large, flat buttresses is that a paddle/s can be jigsawed out of them and easily whittled to proper contours. This practice, for some reason, appears to be less prevalent in Mesoamerica.

[hbernstein]

Anybody know of any larger A. rubrostipa or grandidieri growing in South Florida? Photos?

Thanks.

[Gtlevine]

I am growing Grandidieri in So Cal

[DoomsDave]

2 hours ago, Gtlevine said:

I am growing Grandidieri in So Cal

Picture, dude? Por favor?

[greysrigging]

This Madagascan Boabab thriving in the George Brown Botanical Gardens, Darwin. 

North Western Australia has a magnificent native Adansonia ( Gregorii ) that is locally common throughout the WA Kimberley and Vic River District in the NT. They grow very well in Darwin and there are quite a few old historical specimens in the older suburbs of Darwin.