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Malagasy Baobabs
Six of the eight baobab species grow only in Madagascar: grandidieri, madagascariensis, perrieri, za, suarezensis and rubrostipa. Here's how to tell them apart.
Known as Bozy in Madagascar, six of the eight species of baobabs are endemic to the mega island. Three of them are classified as Endangered, mostly due to habitat loss, and most of the rest are Near Threatened.
Grandidier's BaobabAdansonia grandidieriEndangered
Malagasy BaobabAdansonia madagascariensisNear Threatened
Za BaobabAdansonia zaNear Threatened
Suarez BaobabAdansonia suarezensisEndangered
Fony BaobabAdansonia rubrostipa
Perrier's BaobabAdansonia perrieriEndangered
Quick comparison
| Species | Size | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| A. grandidieri | 100+ ft | The Avenue of the Baobabs giants; red/copper bark |
| A. madagascariensis | 65+ ft | Showiest dark red flowers; fast grower |
| A. za | ~100 ft | Most abundant; steel-grey bark; easy to germinate |
| A. suarezensis | ~80 ft | Two huge horizontal branches; enormous seeds |
| A. rubrostipa | ≤60 ft | Smallest, most bottle-shaped; serrated leaves |
| A. perrieri | 50+ ft | Rarest; hairy leaves; remote northern forests |
Most of this information comes from Baobabs of the World by Andry Petignat and Louise Jasper — props to them.