Adansonia digitata ( African Baobab Tree ), 10 seeds

Description: African baobabs are trees that often grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive elements of savanna or scrubland vegetation. They grow from 5–25 metres (16–82 feet) tall.[2] The trunk is typically very broad and fluted or cylindrical, often with a buttressed, spreading base.[3] Trunks may reach a diameter of 10–14 m (33–46 ft),[3] and may be made up of multiple stems fused around a hollow core. The hollow core found in many tree species is the result of wood removal, such as decay of the oldest, internal part of the trunk. In baobabs, however, many of the largest and oldest of the trees have a hollow core that is the result of a fused circle of three to eight stems sprouting from roots. The bark is gray and usually smooth. The main branches can be massive. All baobabs are deciduous, losing their leaves in the dry season, and remaining leafless for about eight months of the year. Flowers are large, white and hanging. Fruits are rounded with a thick shell. The leaves are palmately compound with 5 to 7 (sometimes up to 9) leaflets in mature trees, but seedlings and regenerating shoots may have simple leaves. The transition to compound leaves comes with age and may be gradual. African baobabs produce simple leaves much longer than most other Adansonia species. Leaflets are stalkless (sessile) to short-stalked and size is variable.[3] Flowering occurs in both the dry and the wet season. Buds are rounded with a cone-shaped tip. Flowers are showy and sometimes paired, but usually produced singly at the end of a hanging stalk about 15–90 centimetres (6–35+1⁄2 inches) in length. The calyx is typically made up of 5 (sometimes 3) green triangular bent-back lobes (sepals) with a cream-coloured, hairy interior. The petals are white, roughly the same width and length – up to 8 cm (3 in), and are crumpled in bud. Flowers open during the late afternoon, staying open and fertile for only one night. The high amount of tannins in the chalazal region of the seed is considered to be the inhibiting factor of germination. Increasing temperatures lead to a decrease of tannin contents and therefore to germination. The tree is therefore not just well adapted to fire-prone savannas but the success of germination depends strongly on heat, provoked by wildfires or prolonged exposition to the sun. Scarify seeds by sanding or filing through the outer coat. Pour boiling water over seeds and let sit until cool. Then bake seeds at 170 degrees F for 40 minutes. Sow 1 inch deep and place in a warm location with indirect light. keep soil moist until seedlings appear. Here is an alternative method with claims of high germination rate: https://www.instructables.com/Baobab-Germination-the-Angle-Grinder-Method/

Price: 6.75 USD

Location: Manassas, Virginia

End Time: 2024-07-30T20:01:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3 USD