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Australian Boab Baobab Adansonia Gregorii Seeds
Packet of 10+ large fresh viable seeds!
It would be pretty hard to find anyone that has not least heard of seen this fella before.
It is known as Australian baobab, Australian boab, baob, boab, boabab, bodgurri, bottletree, bottle tree, cream of tartar tree, gadawon, gadawori, gourd-gourd tree, gouty stem, gouty stem tree, jumulu, larrgadi, larrgadiy, larrgardi, larrkardiy, larrkarti, monkey bread tree, muruwan, sour gourd, sour gourd tree, upside down tree or even the very unappealing dead rat tree..
It is an Australian icon that can live up to 500years, and one with a near endless list of uses.
I will start with food as that is the main reason I wanted this fella in the collection.
The seeds can be roasted and have the texture of cashew nuts and the taste of a mild chestnut.
The seedlings quickly produce a tuberous stem and root that is getting top dollar in city restaurants as a gourmet food.
It is crispy and white and a lot like bamboo shoots or water chestnut.
The leaves and shoots can be eaten raw, or steamed and eaten like a leathery spinach type of thing that tastes a lot nicer than it sounds.
The flowers are edible too, and the big round seedpods that contain the seeds are loaded with a white powdery stuff.
It’s delicious and to me it looks and tastes a lot like bag of powdered yogurt that has got a bit humid a set into a solid block.
Kinda creamy or milky and yet fizzy and foamy at the same time?
Hard to explain, but really delicious and packed with nutrition particularly Vitamin C.
Even the sticky gum that leaks freely from damaged branches can be collected, dried and chewed like toffee, or used to make drinks.
The leaves were burnt and used as a mosquito repellent, and also medicinally for prevention and treatment of rickets, diarrhea, and general intestinal discomfort.
The bark and flowers were used to relieve fever and I can personally attest that the fruit pulp is great for the heartburn and mild nausea associated with excessive liquid refreshments…
Australian Aboriginals have been making use of this plant for thousands of years and not just for food and medicine.
They also used it for making rope and as a source of water which collects in the hollow trunk and stem cavities.
The gum and pollen was used to make glue and the large egg shaped seed pods were used the same way as gourds are elsewhere, as scoops, bowls and palettes for paint and cosmetics.
This Aussie species only occurs in the WA Kimberley region and in the Northern Territory.
It is the only baobab to occur in Australia, the others being native to Madagascar, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Wiser folks than me assert it probably made it’s way to OZ from Africa and the ancient rock art known as Bradshaw paintings is proof of both this, and an ancient African migration to Australia by boat from a now extinct or assimilated African culture.
Other folks say they were here from when Gondwana split away but that theory is considered less likely these days.
The third theory is they just floated over but that seems even less likely as the pods are quite soft compared to other relatives, and even if they did, it’s weird they only landed on the tip and never drifted down the WA coast.
I’ve go no real horse in that race, but I am glad they are here and even happier to have a few in my collection!
Though there is at least one tree locally that is 3-4years old, this is the first time I have had any great success germinating the seeds despite buying them from heaps of different folks over the years.
I picked these guys up on a recent road trip up north and with these ones I am getting 90% germination within the month.
The only thing I did a bit different was I used a slightly sandier mix than normal.
That’s it?
Sandy soil mix, warm location, partial shade, occasional water, easy as.
Wildharvested by me and the Mrs, no chems, no nasties, no problems!!!
