Baobab Trees (Adansonia): Species, Origins & Range

Location: Madagascar, Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Australia, South Asia, Caribbean and Cape Verde
Species: Boabab trees
Added: 2025-12-1
Published: 2022-10-14
Source: Animalogic

Baobabs (genus Adansonia) comprise eight recognised species: six are endemic to Madagascar, one is native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (A. digitata), and one to Australia. A. digitata also occurs on Madagascar but isn’t native. Humans introduced baobabs to South Asia, the Caribbean and Cape Verde. Ge-netic evidence indicates the African and Australian lineages split within ~15 million years—likely after a long-distance ocean crossing—while Adansonia diverged from close Bombacoideae relatives (Cei-ba/Chorisia, Pachira) in the Eocene.