Adansonia gregorii (Boab Tree)

The Boab (Adansonia gregorii) is Australia's own baobab, native to the Kimberley and the Victoria River country, and this is an ex ground specimen with the swollen trunk already formed. That is the point of buying it this way, because the bottle shaped trunk is what people come for and growing one from seed takes decades. In a garden it settles at around 6m tall and 4.5m wide over ten to fifteen years, dropping its leaves in the dry to stand as sculpture.

Why you'll love it

• A trunk with character on day one. Ex ground stock is field grown for years before lifting, so the swollen base and branch structure arrive already developed.
• Genuinely tough. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil. Once established it asks for almost nothing.
• An Australian native with real presence. Few trees carry this much weight in a landscape.
• Sculptural in every season. Large white flowers in the warm months, then a bare silver grey silhouette.

Where it works best

Feature planting. This is a solo performer. Give it a clear 6m, a simple ground plane of gravel or low planting, and uplighting at night. Crowding it with shrubs wastes the trunk.

Shade and gathering space. The canopy shades a courtyard, turning circle or seating area through the hot months, then lets winter sun through once it defoliates.

Civic and commercial planting. It suits entry statements, forecourts and large landscapes in the north and the drier inland.

Growing a Boab tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It performs in tropical, subtropical, arid and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so the Northern Territory, northern Western Australia, north Queensland and the warmer parts of the eastern states are safe ground. Cold southern gardens, the tablelands and frost prone valleys are not.

Soil and drainage. Drainage is the one non negotiable. It wants sandy, gravelly or loamy soil that never sits wet. On clay, mound the planting position at least 400mm above grade, because a waterlogged boab rots at the base.

Water. Water in heavily at planting, then deeply once a week for the first month and fortnightly for the next six weeks. After the first wet season it needs little beyond rainfall.

Feeding and pruning. A light slow release fertiliser at the start of the growing season for the first two years, then nothing. Prune only to remove damage, and never lift or shape the crown, because the trunk and low branching are the reason you bought it.

What to expect when it arrives

This is a single advanced ex ground specimen, not a potted nursery plant. It has been grown in open ground, root pruned in advance to build a compact fibrous root system, then lifted into a wire basket with hessian lining. Both go in with the tree and break down naturally, so the root ball is never disturbed.

Given its size and weight this tree is freighted at cost, and needs machinery and clear site access, which we quote and confirm before dispatch. It is delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a quiet first season while the roots rebuild. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the ex ground tree range
• Compare advanced trees for instant scale
• Shop Australian native trees
• When a tree is considered mature

Common questions

How big will it get in a garden?

Around 6m tall and 4.5m wide across ten to fifteen years. In the Kimberley it can pass 12m, but that is over a very long life in conditions no suburban block reproduces.

Why has it dropped all its leaves?

Boabs are deciduous over the dry season. A bare tree through the cooler months is the species behaving normally, not a plant in trouble. Leaves return with warmth and rain.

Can I grow one in a southern garden?

In warm temperate coastal gardens with sharp drainage and a hot, sunny position, yes. In the tablelands, cool inland districts or anywhere with hard frost, no. Cold plus wet soil is what kills them.