What is the difference between a bottle tree and a Boab tree? They are two different species even though they are both commonly called Bottle Trees. The Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) is not a boab. Bottle Trees are taller, they grow to 20 metres, whilst Boab Trees grow to about 14 metres.
What is the difference between a bottle tree and a baobab?
We often get asked what the difference is between bottle trees and baobabs - or boabs. Baobab is the common name given to the genus Adansonia, in a different family to Brachychiton but in a similar part of the flowering plant evolutionary tree.
Is a Queensland bottle tree a boab tree?
The Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) is not a boab. Bottle Trees are taller, they grow to 20 metres, whilst Boab Trees grow to about 14 metres. Bottle Trees have 12 species in Australia, whilst Boab's have only 1.
What does a boab tree look like?
Boab trees flower and fruit in the wet season. Flowering can start as early as October and the flowers are gorgeous. Big, white, with a pinkish hue, intricate and fragrant. The fruit starts setting around January. Mature " boab nuts " are woody capsules of varied shapes and can reach enormous size.
What is a bottle tree?
The bottle tree has one of the most visually interesting shapes. It's botanically known as Brachychiton rupestris, it's a member of the Malvaceae family and is also commonly known as the Queensland bottle tree, or narrow leaf bottle tree.
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Are the boab and bottle tree the same?
gregorii, called boab, or bottle tree, is found throughout the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Reaching heights of about 12 metres (39 feet), the tree features the characteristically swollen trunk of the genus and bears compound leaves that are completely shed during drought periods.
Is a bottle tree a Boab tree?
The Kimberly region bottle tree is often called “boab”, and is most closely related to the baobab tree in Africa, but no one is quite sure how it arrived on the island continent. There are eight types of baobab tree, most of grow in Madagascar.
Why baobab tree is called bottle tree?
The Baobab or bottle tree (Adansonia digitata) is native to Africa and has a large, swollen trunk. The common name is due to its resemblance to a bottle that comes from the enlarged base and more slender upper growth in these trees.
Which tree is also known as bottle tree?
Australian baobabThe single Australian baobab species, A. gregorii, called boab, or bottle tree, is found throughout the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Are boab and baobab tree the same?
The common name 'boab' might reasonably be assumed to be of Aboriginal origin, but it's actually a corruption of 'baobab', an Arabic word of African origin that means 'father of many seeds'. It's a clue to the tree's evolutionary associations because the boab and baobabs belong to the same genus.
What does boab mean?
(ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb ) noun. a bombacaceous tree, Adansonia digitata, native to Africa, that has a very thick trunk, large white flowers, and a gourdlike fruit with an edible pulp called monkey bread. Also called: bottle tree, monkey bread tree.
Can you drink water from a Baobab tree?
Once dried out, it weighs 200kg per cubic meter. This means that baobabs are able to store 650 litres of water per cubic meter of tree. In other words the tree consists of 76% water which is a lot! But even though it has so much water, it is sadly not available for us to drink just like that.
Can you eat baobab fruit?
Baobab grows throughout Africa, Madagascar and Australia and can be eaten fresh or used to add a punch of flavor and nutrients to desserts, stews, soups and smoothies. However, finding fresh baobab may be challenging in countries where the fruit is not commonly grown.
What is the story behind bottle trees?
The folk-art legend of the bottle tree began in the Congo during the ninth century. Blue bottles were hung upside down on trees and huts as talismans to ward off evil spirits. Bottles were also tied to trees near important locations such as meeting places or crossroads to trap any spirits that were travelling.
Are bottle trees poisonous?
The plant produces a watery latex, rich in toxic alkaloids, used by local populations as arrow poison for hunting. In contact with the eyes this latex can produce blindness....Pachypodium lealii.Bottle treeClade:EudicotsClade:AsteridsOrder:GentianalesFamily:Apocynaceae9 more rows
What does a boab tree look like?
The trunk is smooth and shiny, not at all like the bark of other trees, and it is pinkish grey or sometimes copper coloured. When bare of leaves, the spreading branches of the Baobab tree look like roots sticking up into the air, rather as if it had been planted upside-down.
Do Queensland bottle trees have invasive roots?
The root system is regarded as being non invasive which makes it useful in a range of situations. The growth rate is regarded as slow over the first few years, the swollen trunk will take around 5 – 9 years to develop into a feature. Because of this landscapers look for advanced specimens are available for sale.
What is a boab tree?
Boab Tree Facts. The Australian boab tree ( Adansonia gregorii) is related to the Madagascan and African Adansonia species known as baobabs. Like its relatives it is sometimes called a " bottle tree ", but we locals refer to the trees as just boabs. There are two theories about how boab trees arrived in Australia.
How tall is a boab tree?
A mature boab tree is a sight to behold. Though not exceptionally high, up to 15 metres, they appear huge. The name bottle tree relates to the swollen trunk that can reach a massive girth of up to 20 metres.
What do Aboriginal artists use boab nuts for?
Today many Aboriginal artists of the Kimberley use boab tree nuts for carvings and paintings. When the dark surface of the boab nut is scratched away it reveals a light colour underneath. (Btw, the nuts in the photo are not examples of exceptional artwork... but they show how it works.)
What is the significance of the Wyndham Prison Boab Tree?
The Wyndham prison boab tree is of cultural significance to the local Aboriginals. It is fenced off and travellers are asked not to approach it.
How old is the Wyndham boab tree?
The remarkable Wyndham boab tree has a circumference of 14.7 metres and is estimated to be at least 1500 years old.
How long does it take for a boab tree to grow?
The boab is a very slow growing tree and it takes many hundred if not thousand years to grow into one of those impressive specimen. The images below show boab trees at different ages, 5, 50 and 500 years: Ok, I made that up, I have no idea how old these trees are. Let's say young, middle aged and old.
What is the bark color of a boab tree?
Let's say young, middle aged and old. The bark of the boab tree is grey brown and very smooth, the leaves have 5 to 9 longish leaflets. Boab trees are deciduous, they drop all their leaves during the dry season. Since the dry season is the main tourist season most travellers only get to see the grey brown skeletons.
What is a bottle tree?
The bottle tree has one of the most visually interesting shapes. It's botanically known as Brachychiton rupestris, it's a member of the Malvaceae family and is also commonly known as the Queensland bottle tree, or narrow leaf bottle tree.
Why are my bottle trees hollow?
Some people believe the tree is hollow but the swelling is due to the water held in its trunk. The bottle tree is semi-deciduous and reaches 18 to 20 metres. But if grown in cooler regions it's usually smaller. The leaves are about a hundred millimetres long and these drop from the tree before flowering.
What is the best soil for bottle trees?
Bottle trees grow best in well drained, slightly acidic soil, in full sunshine but they can also withstand temperatures of -8 degrees up to +50 degrees celsius. If you're looking for a feature tree in your garden that's guaranteed to be a talking point, you can't go past the Queensland bottle tree Brachychiton rupestris.