Learning more about the ‘tree of life,’ the baobab

Calling something the “tree of life” may conjure up a lush arboreal species with mouth-watering fruit.

Yet on the African continent, this moniker is reserved for the baobab tree. Upon first glance, you may wonder why. It is sometimes referred to as “the upside down tree” since, from a distance, its dormant branches — perched on the apex of its trunk — resemble roots. Furthermore, its fruit is not juicy, but harvested for the nutritious powder that surrounds its seeds. This powder has moved into the superfood category due to its highly salubrious effects, especially due to its high concentration of Vitamin C and antioxidants.

The worldwide market for baobab powder will soon reach $10 billion a year and is expected to grow exponentially from there. It is commonly used as a flavoring agent due to its tart, citrusy taste and may be added to smoothies, breakfast cereal, and soups or sprinkled on salads and stews. Its tree of life appellation has to do with the fact that in the midst of the brutal African summer, baobab fruit may be the only edible tree crop in sight.

Many of us first encountered this tree when reading “The Little Prince,” that classic children’s book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. “Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince,” the author wrote, “and these were the seeds of the baobab. The soil of that planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late.” This tree was hazardous to his small planet since “it bores clear through it with its roots,” and so the little prince found himself pulling up baobab seedlings as part of his morning routine.

Those powerful roots, however, are but a small part of the story when it comes to how baobabs sustain themselves. In their drought-prone habitat, baobabs may be the only trees of any stature for miles around. Their secret to success is their bulbous, succulent trunks, 80 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter at maturity, which serve as giant water-storage tanks. Incidentally, it is only when they are fully mature, at around 200 years of age, that baobabs take on their iconic upside-down look. Baobabs are also the longest-lived African trees; in 2011, a baobab that died in Zimbabwe at the age of 2,450 made it the oldest of all flowering plants to be documented on the African continent.

I was inspired to look more closely at this tree after reading a recent report on the frenzied baobab trade that has swept through Africa, especially in Zimbabwe, the center of Baobab activity, which boasts a population of five million trees. It brought me to search for someone locally who might grow them and soon I made the acquaintance of Stephen Woods, who germinates baobab seeds in his greenhouse in Simi Valley and sells seeds of four baobab species online. It should be noted that baobab fruit is mostly collected by Africans in rural areas who pick up the fruit where it falls, although trees are also climbed to capture the crop. Baobabs are not yet planted for commercial purposes but strictly wild-harvested. It takes 20 years for a tree germinated from a seed to yield any fruit.

Woods explained his fascination with the baobab began during the pandemic when he was stuck at home and seeking something to do in his spare time. “I heard the song ‘Baobabs’ by Regina Spektor,” he recalled, “a singer I had always liked and so began my fascination with baobab trees. I also recalled having seen the trees while watching ‘The Lion King.’” (Note: if you listen to Spektor’s song, it will have a lot more meaning if you read “The Little Prince” — noting its preoccupation with roses and their thorns alongside that of baobabs and their roots — beforehand.)

Woods advised against growing baobabs outdoors north of San Diego due to their sensitivity to cold. However, baobabs make excellent indoor plants. He also called them “natural bonsais” since their root systems will adjust to the size of the container in which they grow. On the roof of his vacation home in Baja Sur, he grew baobabs in containers with great success as they shot up six feet in 15 months. Growing them indoors in Southern California, however, you should be patient since their rate of growth under such conditions will be exceedingly slow.

I asked Woods about the origin of baobabs. He told me that although it is thought two species are native to the African continent and Australia, this may not be so as DNA evidence suggests they may be endemic to Madagascar, the large island with the famed thorn forest that is located off the southeast coast of Africa and in which six other baobab species are found. The most widely seen species is Adansonia digitata, which grows throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet this species could have easily been transported there from neighboring Madagascar. The fruit of the species you find in Australia (Adansonia gregorii) could have floated there from Madagascar with its waterproof seeds intact, albeit 100 million years ago.

“The biggest problem with growing these trees is overwatering them, which will cause root rot,” Woods informed me. To protect against this eventuality, he suggests a growing mix that consists of 25% construction-grade sand, 25% pumice, and 50% cactus mix. “Keep in mind that baobabs are the largest succulents on earth and so, like cactus, their soil must be perfectly drained.”

After soaking seeds for up to 36 hours until they “puff up,” plant them one inch below the surface of your soil mix. Growers should also be attuned to the fact that these plants may go dormant. “Until the seeds germinate, which may take several weeks, sprinkle the soil daily, just keeping it moist. And as long as leaves are growing, you can continue to water. However, should leaves drop, you will want to refrain from watering except for an occasional irrigation. With baobabs, watering is really an all-or-nothing proposition, depending on whether the trees are actively growing or in a state of dormancy.”

Woods sells seeds of four baobab species on his website at californiabaobabs.com. When you get there, click the “Shop on Etsy” tab at the top of the home page if you wish to consider a purchase. Other information about growing baobabs is found on the site.

California native of the week: Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) is a ground cover or subshrub that reaches one or two feet in height, depending on the variety. Flowers are lavender, pink, purple or white and redolent of mint. Hirsute, grayish-green leaves appear opposite along the stem. Use coyote mint to edge a drought-tolerant garden. This plant has a tendency to sprawl so it would be wise to trim it back every now and then to encourage denser, bushier growth. At the same time, you can take advantage of its sprawling proclivity by allowing it to trail over a block wall or the sides of a container. While some varieties have runners that allow it to expand its presence in the garden bed, it does not become invasive. It flowers mostly in the spring but may bloom on and off into the fall.

If you have any exotic tree whose story you would like to share, please send it along to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, as well as gardening challenges and successes, are always welcome.