Adansonia digitata - Baobab Tree, Dead Rat Tree

Any close up pics of the 'rat' parts please ?

Terratoonie:

Unfortunately, no close ups of the pods (rat parts).

I have never seen a large tree here in San Diego, CA. either...only small trees. I have an 8 year old tree in a pot, however, it will never bloom in a pot. It is also a very slow growing tree.

I've just Googled Adasonia digitata, and its says aka Monkey Bread tree... the fruits in the pic look big and globe-shaped...not like dead rats. Lol.

Are the fruits more dead-rat-like when they are forming ?

Terratoonie:

I've seen several of these trees with fruit...they actually tend to look more oval than globe-like. There's several old trees in Ala Moana Park in Honolulu, HI...and they have the oval-shaped fruits. I would guess on certain trees they grow globe-shaped...just haven't seen any.

Terratoonie:

I've read on the internet "More than 260 years ago baobabs were apparently successfully grown in England and had reached heights of 5-6 m, but were all destroyed in the heavy frosts of 1740". This amazes me considering their tropical origin and they hate cold "wet feet" and their need for very high temps(desert-like)...however, it was very interesting information. I would love to find out which part of England they were growing.

wicked photo Delonix..;-))

Yes... I wonder where in England those trees were growing...

I think there are some little locations in England which have unusually warm climates due to the Gulf Stream, etc.

Delonix, try googling Isles of Scilly, near Cornwall, as an example... e.g. Tresco Abbey Gardens....:o)

Sandra:

Pretty impressive, right?

Aren't you surprised that they once grew somewhere in England? I can't believe England had 5 - 6 meter trees...this is very amazing to me because I've never seen one that big here in Southern California...not to say there not here...just haven't seen one. I've only seen small
10 foot trees here. Adansonia trees grow super slowly.

Terratoonie:

I've read in books many years ago about Tresco Abbey Gardens...this is probably the place where the Adansonia digitata trees were grown. I know they have a huge collection of cacti and palms. In fact, I remember they had
a large collection of mature Howea fosteriana - Kentia Palms and Rhopalostylis sapida - Nikau Palms until a large freeze hit in the mid to late 1980's and killed them all. It was very sad!

Thank for all the information...I forgot about Tresco Abbey Gardens.

Hi again Delonix ~

I've looked up Tresco and it seems it fell into ruins in the 16th Centruy and the walled gardens weren't planted till the 1800's.... doesn't seem to fit in with the dates above, but I think there are other little areas in England with unusually warm conditions...

Maybe others on GoY will know...

Terratoonie:

Thanks for the information! Do you know of any area of England that would have consistently high temps in the summer. These trees really like desert-like heat...the only place I've read where they grow large in (California / Arizona) is in the low subtropical deserts of California and Arizona. They need extremely high heat (highs of 110 - 120 and lows from 75 - 90 degrees F.) to do well or a truly tropical climate like Honolulu, HI. I don't think of England as having such extreme high temps in summmer...however, I could be wrong.

I'll ask David ... he has written blogs on history of parks.... will report back here some time soon.... :o)

Terratoonie:

Thanks! I appreciate it...reading about England and it's climate is easy...however, actually experiencing it is another thing.

I've messaged David.... I must have been sleepy when I keyed in yesterday evening's message above .. century looks better than centruy..Lol.

Delonix ~ coincidence !
see blog uploaded to GoY today by Shirleypoppy about Tresco ! :o)

Terratoonie:

Thanks! I'll read it now.

Shirley's blog says "Part One" ~ so I guess we can look forward to at least one more part..! Lol.

Sorry, but cannot think that anywhere in the UK could have consistently high temps - at any time since the Jurassic Period. I do think that the trees grown in England in the 18th century would have been done so in a stately glasshouse or "Orangery", and not outdoors. Without piped heating, tehy may well have succumbed to cold and frost. One tree has, in modern times, been cultivated under glass at Kew. I would be interested to know who introduced this tree to England, and its route. Probably via Portuguese traders - Central Africa is not, as far as I have learned, been a popular destination with our planthunters of the past. You have me intrigued, now! :-)

David:

Thank you so much for your vast information!

It is very possible that the Baobab trees were grown
in an unheated glassshouse because they are extremely
susceptible to cold wet feet...which can kill them very quickly.
I know they will tolerate some cold as long as they remain
completely dry. (which means no rain at all).
The trees are purported for growing in USDA zones
10B - 12 which are all warm subtropical to tropical areas.
I have a Baobab and I'm in zone 10B / 11 which most of urban
San Diego, CA. is zoned, excluding some canyon areas.

If you are interested in reading the article where I received
the source about the Baobabs growing in England, here is
the link: http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm

Thanks again!

I've looked at the plantzafrica link ...

The tree, Adansonia, is named to commemorate French surgeon Michel Adanson 1727-1806, and digitata means hand-like, from the shape of the leaves...
I wonder where these were growing in England... David, over to you ! Lol...

Terratoonie:

I posted a photo of my very small by comparison Baobab - Adansonia digitata tree. It is such a painfully slow growing tree...it's no wonder why they live for thousands of years.

I just took a look... much smaller...lol.

I recommended both photos for the GoYpedia trees section..:o)

Terratoonie:

Yes, it is very small by caparison. Here in San Diego, CA...it would have to be put into the ground and would take about 100 years to get to this size. If it it grew this big at all. LOL! : > )

If I'm not mistaken this tree in Foster's Botanical Garden is around 70 feet / 21 meters tall.

Thanks again the GoYpedia trees recommendation!

:o)

Terratonie:

I guess I should have said comparison instead of "caparison" LOL! I was up very late last night...until 2:00 a.m. that's my excuse.

Above on this thread, I spelt century as centruy...
.... and it was only about 9 pm.. Lol...

so you have more excuse at 2.a.m...:o)

Well, I guess I do. : > )

Hi Folks! I haven't had any real time to devote to this today, as at work Many Thanks, Del, had already read this article, and about Michel Adonson. Did you know that he was at the forefront of the movement to have the studies of Botany and Medicine separated into their own specialist areas? (they were always one and same here in the past, which is why many famous planthunters were also ships' surgeons/doctors).

From what I can find, Adonson was the first European to see/collect specimens of this in the 1750s. Still trying to find the link between Africa and Europe/UK. Still betting on the old Portugeuse trade routes. Love the Madagascar variety, btw.,will never be able to watch the movie of same name with the kids in same light again!!! Nor the "Lion King", come to think of it!

See what you do to me???????????????????? LOL!

:-))

Wow...interesting discussion.. from the time of Victoria's Golden Jubilee there were large glass houses with collections of tropical plants/trees. the trees may have started out in one of these glass houses and grew large enough tht the structure was removed...??? perhaps the area near Brighton?
a baobab always looks to be Upsidedown to me...the branches look like roots sticking up with sparse foliage. For literary references you can't beat "The Little Prince" with his single baobab!

Lori:

Thanks for the information!

In some parts of the world Baobab trees are called upside down trees.

They're called upside down trees in Botswana, which is the only place I've seen them. They are massive there, but are susceptible to bush fires.

Michel Adanson was a French naturalist, of Scottish descent, who left France in 1748 to spend 5 years exploring and collecting specimens in Senegal (a French colony from the late 1600s). He was very eminent in his field.

I suspect that the link is French, rather than Portuguese, since they were pushing into many countries in West Africa, such as Benin (part of Yorubaland and very happy to trade in all sorts of commodities).

In Japan,full grown tree's have been imported...large branches and roots cut to stumps making century old tree's into giant cuttings. Then grown in some kind of mall atrium.
Kind of sad.
Also- In Africa they have done the same for resorts. At least they are still in the country under sun. I guess that's better.

All I know it's an amazing, slow-growing tree.

There's one in Perth, Australia. It was moved from the far north to Perth and is growing very well. It's estimated to be 750 years old.

Here's the one story on the tree:

http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/about-us/horticulture/wa-botanic-garden/the-giant-boab