Baobabs, along with lemurs and chameleons, are one of the most recognizable symbols of Madagascar. The Avenue of the Baobabs is an extraordinary, very picturesque and very popular place to photograph. The Malagasy call baobabs "trees growing with their roots to the sky": they have an interesting, rounded shape and seem to be turned upside down. They are long-lived - they are among the oldest plants in the world - they can live up to 5 thousand years! It is difficult to estimate their age, because baobab wood does not show cyclical annual rings, but they grow very slowly: a baobab reaches a height of only one meter at the age of thirty.
Traveling around Madagascar, you will certainly see these vase-shaped giants that can store up to a hundred thousand liters of water! Baobabs are therefore a source of priceless water, and in addition, the Malagasy use their bark fibers to make baskets, strings, nets, hats, and salads from their leaves. One of the most beautiful baobabs is Adansonia madagascariensis, which can grow up to 35 meters high and is covered in a thicket of red flowers in November.