Bozy Baobab (Adansonia bozy)
- Native to
- Madagascar
- IUCN status
- Not yet evaluated
- Synonym
- Adansonia za var. bozy
Adansonia bozy is a baobab from the Sambirano River region of northwestern Madagascar. It was described in 1910, later folded into the Za baobab, and recognized as its own species again in 2026.
It looks a lot like A. za, and for decades the two were treated as one species. A genetic study of Madagascar’s baobabs published in 2026 showed that these northern trees are more closely related to the other northern Malagasy baobabs than to A. za, so the old name was brought back. That makes nine baobab species: seven in Madagascar, one in mainland Africa and one in Australia.
A. bozy grows in the relatively moist Sambirano region, and possibly a little further south. Much of the forest there has been cleared for cacao plantations and slash-and-burn rice farming. The IUCN hasn’t assessed it yet, but the researchers consider it endangered.
The same study suggests A. rubrostipa may also need to be split, and that more species could still be out there in remote parts of Madagascar.
The paper: Karimi et al. (2026), “Phylogenomic analysis of Madagascar’s baobabs reveals admixed populations and supports resurrection of a previously described species,” Taxon. doi.org/10.1002/tax.70176
Where to see it
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Madagascar Antananarivo, Madagascar
All famous baobabs and where to see them →
Other baobab species
African Baobab · Australian Baobab (Boab) · Grandidier's Baobab · Malagasy Baobab · Za Baobab · Suarez Baobab · Fony Baobab · Perrier's Baobab