Adansonia za is a large thick-stemmed deciduous tree, about 10-40 m tall and about 6 m in diameter. The trunk and branches have a brownish-rose colored hue. The tree is widest at the base, narrowing noticeably towards the top of the tree. Adansonia za is endemic to southern and north-western Madagascar. Populations are severely fragmented and numbers are declining due to habitat loss and logging. This plant grows in arid scrublands, in deciduous forests, savannah and in Madagascar spiny forests. It prefers sunny areas and well drained soils, at an elevation up to 800 m above sea level.