Australian Baobab (Boab) (Adansonia gregorii)

Native to

Australia

Height

About 30 ft

IUCN status

Not evaluated

Also called

Boab, Dead Rat Tree, Gouty Stem Tree, Kuruwan, Jamulang, Gadawori

Synonym

Adansonia gibbosa

The single species of Baobab endemic to Australia, these historic trees thrive in the harsh dry conditions of Northwest Australia.

The Australian baobab, assumed to be a variation of baobab carried across the ocean from Madagascar not too long ago (geologically speaking), is a smaller variety of Baobab. They often grow multiple swollen trunks and typically tap out around 30 feet tall.

The bark is lighter than many of its cousins, with an orange tint. The palmate leaves can vary from hairy to smooth, with 5 to 9 leaflets. The flowers are pale cream and green, like its African cousin.

The drying fruit hanging low beneath the branches after the leaves have fallen give the tree its popular Australian name: The Dead Rat Tree. The brittle and thin pericarp usually cracks open before the fruit falls.

Gregorii baobabs have not been evaluated for conservation status. They are only found in the Northwest in the Kimberley and the Victoria River basin. They are miraculous survivors of wildfires.

Growing gregorii

Gregorii seeds have a water-permeable coat and are one of the easier baobabs to germinate — a couple of days soaking in warm water usually does it. Seedlings stay small in their first year while they build a big taproot. Germination guide →

Where to see it

• Margaret River Grass Trees Margaret River, Western Australia
• Gija Jumulu Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia
• George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
• Gregory's Tree Victoria River, 15 km west of Timber Creek, Northern Territory
• Boab Prison Tree, Wyndham King River Road, south of Wyndham, Western Australia
• Boab Prison Tree, Derby 6 km south of Derby, Western Australia

All famous baobabs and where to see them →

Other baobab species

African Baobab · Grandidier's Baobab · Malagasy Baobab · Za Baobab · Bozy Baobab · Suarez Baobab · Fony Baobab · Perrier's Baobab