Suarez Baobab (Adansonia suarezensis)

Native to

Madagascar

Height

About 80 ft

IUCN status

Endangered

Also called

Bozy Mena, Tsitoloniny

Suarez Baobabs often grow to about 80 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. They have a dark red and brown bark with a green photosynthetic layer just beneath it.

Recognized primarily by its unique growth pattern of two massive horizontal branches extending from the crown.

Their palmate leaves of 6–9 smooth leaflets are attached to 5 inch petioles. The flowers are white and turn yellow with age. The fruits are huge and plentiful with relatively thin coats. The seeds are huge compared to all their baobab cousins.

Locally, the bark is known to be a medicine for treating ailments like diabetes. The trees are found in very few locations in specific regions of northern Madagascar, and their territory is growing smaller as cattle encroach.

Suarez baobabs are classified as endangered, mostly due to habitat loss.

Growing suarezensis

I’ve imported batch after batch of Suarez seeds over the years with marginal success at best — the seeds have a short shelf life of only a few years, and they rot easily. The 2026 batch was the first where nearly every seed popped up within a week. The tricks: don’t oversoak (a long afternoon is plenty), lay them navel-down on 50/50 soil and sand, cover with 2–3 inches of clean sand, and water lightly. Full details in the germination guide.

Other baobab species

African Baobab · Australian Baobab (Boab) · Grandidier's Baobab · Malagasy Baobab · Za Baobab · Fony Baobab · Perrier's Baobab