The thick grey succulent trunk gives rise to a tightly packed crown bearing large flat leaves that hang loosely from its branches. From November the Cabbage tree pushes out tiny green flowers clustered on cone-shaped “fingers” that point directly upward, adding even more drama to the overall look of this tree suitable for a Dr. Seuss book. It bears tiny fruits which go purple when ripe that are popular with birds.

Traditionally the succulent roots are softened with water for the purpose of treating malaria and the leaves are used as a treatment for indigestion.

This species is a fast grower, but make sure not to plant it too close to paving as the aggressive root system has been known to cause damage.

Cussonia spicata occurs naturally over a wide range in the wetter areas of southern Africa from the southern Cape and eastern parts of the country extending through Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and further north reaching into tropical Africa.

Attracts: Birds (Sombre & Blackeyed Bulbuls, Knysna Louries, Speckled Mousebirds, Redwinged Stralings, Barbets, many others), Insects, Black Rhino, Bushpig, and Baboons eat the roots and bark in the wild.

The Cape Ash is often mistaken for the wild plum (Harpephyllum caffrum), but upon further inspection one can see the leaves are very different. The Cape ash has very attractive loosely hung leaves, whereas the wild plum have stiff, sickle-shaped leaves.

The leaves are glossy bright green with a tinge of pink at times. During the summer months the Cape ash bears lightly scented white flowers that appear in graceful delicate sprays. The fruit that follows goes from green to a bright red as they ripen in autumn.

Occurs in a number of different habitats, from high altitude evergreen forests to riverine forests, and from the sea level to about 1500 m above sea level.

The light and soft wood of Cape ash is easy to work with, and with its straw colour, it makes attractive furniture. The bark is used as an emetic, and for treating dysentery. It is also used for tanning. Concoctions from roots are used to treat headaches, heartburn and for chronic coughs. Leaves are used as a remedy for intestinal worms.

The Cape ash grows from the Eastern Cape northwards through KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, southern Mozambique, the Limpopo Province and into Zimbabwe. It also occurs as far north as Uganda, Ethiopia and the D.R.C.

Attracts: Birds such as Knysna and Purple-crested Louries, Barbets, Bulbuls, Mousebirds and Hornbills, eat fruits of E. capensis. Baboons, Monkeys, Bushbuck and Nyala readily eat the fallen fruits of this tree. Leaves are browsed by domestic stock and game.

Coral Trees were planted on the graves of Zulu chiefs and thus have earned a reputation as royal trees. These trees were also one of the first indigenous trees to be planted for ornamental purposes in home
gardens. The cork-like wood has been used for making canoes and floats for fishing nets. Since the Coral Tree bears flowers during the earliest days of spring it has been used as a signal that it is time to plant crops.

Erythrina lysistemon occurs in a wide range of altitudes and habitats from North West Province, Limpopo (formerly Northern Province), Gauteng, Mpumalanga, through to Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal, and down to about the Mbashe River Mouth in Eastern Cape. Further north in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Angola it occurs in small pockets. It grows in scrub forest, wooded kloofs, dry woodlands, dry savannah, koppie slopes and coastal dune bush and also in high rainfall areas.

Attracts: Birds such as Whitebellied, Black, Grey, Greater Doublecollared, Collared, Marico, Olive and Scarletchested Sunbirds and Blackheaded Oriole. Brownheaded parrots eat and disperse the seeds from unripe pods. Birds such as barbets and woodpeckers nest in the trunks of dead trees, and swarms of bees often inhabit hollow trunks. Vervet monkeys eat the flowerbuds. Kudu, klipspringer, black rhino and baboons graze on the leaves. Black rhinos, elephants and baboons eat the bark. Bush pigs eat the roots.

This handsome tree is fast growing and attractive year-round with a marvelous display of changing foliage color throughout the year.

This medium sized, semi-deciduous tree is beautiful decorated with leaves that turn from light green, to scarlet, to purple depending on the season. The leaves drop just before the tree burst into flower in August.

Off-white flowers are densely set together leaving a cluster of blush colored four-winged seed pods from February to June following the flowers. The fruits are small, light to dark red and turn a burnt red when dry.

Found from the coast to the midlands in the eastern regions of South Africa and neighbouring Swaziland. The habitat ranges from rocky hillsides at altitudes from almost sea level up to 1 200 m. It grows anywhere from evergreen forest or forest margins to dense woodland.

Attracts: Insects and Birds.

A semi-deciduous tree growing up to 25 m tall with an attractive shape and a spreading crown. The bark is smooth on new branches and the compound leaves are graceful with up to 7 pairs of opposite leaflets.

The flowers on Millettia grandis are pea-shaped occurring during the summer months. The upright inflorescence are mauve to purple protruding from the ends of the branches making for a attractive display of “purple floss”hovering over the green spreading crown.

The flat and golden coloured fruits are covered with a thick layer of brown hair. When the fruit has dried they split to release spiralling oblong seeds.

Umzimbeet has yellow sapwood and very heavy, hard and reddish to dark brown heartwood.

Umzimbeet’s hard wood and attractive colour are often used to make furniture and is used for making bi-coloured walking sticks which are sold to tourists.

It can also be used as a windbreak and harvested at 10-15 years for planks in high rainfall areas. It also makes an attractive garden and street tree and it does not have an aggressive root system.

The root can be used as a fish poison, but fish must be boiled before consumption. The ground seed soaked in milk is used as a remedy for roundworm, but with caution as consuming too many seeds is poisonous. Ground seed can be used as an arrow poison.

Umzimbeet has a restricted, disjunct distribution in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. It is most common in Pondoland.

Attracts: Baboons and Butterflies

The bark is smooth in young trees eventually becoming dark and rough. Fine hairs cover new leaves and young branches. Tiny yellow flowers give way to round black shiny fruits. Not unlike the leaves, the fruits contain a milky latex, hence the the common name Milkwood.

The Milkwood is one of South Africa’s Protected Trees, which does not necessarily mean it is endangered, but it does mean that no milkwood may be damaged, moved or felled.
Traditional remedies have been made from the bark and roots that can be used to cure broken bones, treat fevers, dispel bad dreams, and to treat gall sickness in livestock.
The wood is very hard and fine-grained and is used for building boats, bridges and utensils.

This species is commonly found in dune forests, almost always in coastal woodlands and also in littoral forests (forests along the sea shore). It also occurs further inland in Zimbabwe and Gauteng.

Attracts: Almost all fruit-eating birds (African Green Pigeon, Brownheaded and Cape Parrots, Knysna, Purplecrested and Grey Louries, bulbuls, abd barbets). Bats, monkeys, and bushpigs.

When grown in cultivated environments it reaches up to 7 metres tall with an attractive “weeping” appearance due to the concentrated cluster of foliage weighing down the lateral branches at the ends. An evergreen tree, it has dark green leaves that have a polished look to the exposed side with a paler green, dull underside. The bark is pale gray and smooth. Apodytes dimidiata forms small white fragrant blooms.

The tiny white flowers are set between Sept and April and have a sweet fragrance to them. The fruit is berry -like, black and flattened with a scarlet, fleshy tip which gives them a kidney shape.

Root bark infusion is used by the Zulus to treat intestinal parasites. The leaves can be used to make a tincture that helps with treating ear infections.

A. dimidiatais a protected tree in South Africa.

Apodytes dimidiata occurs in coastal evergreen bush, at the margins of medium altitude evergreen forest, in open woodlands and on grassy mountain slopes, often among rocks. It is a constituent of the forests such as Knysna, George, Tsitsikama, Alexandria, Amatola, Umgoye and Dukuduku.

It is in fact one of the best-known forest trees in southern Africa as it is found from Table Mountain in the Cape Peninsula, along the coast through Kwa-Zulu Natal, Gauteng, Swaziland and Kenya.

Attracts: Blackeyed Bulbul, Rameron Pigeon, Redwinged and Glossy Starlings, and Pied Barbet, Black Rhino.

It’s modest disposition makes it a handsome tree that fits in nicely to most landscape designs whether it is a formal manicured setting or a more natural relaxed atmosphere. The bark is rough and grey. The flowers are inconspicuous white and green, but give off a lovely delicate scent. The fruit that follows ripens to a fleshy purple-black and are edible, but not as popular as some of the other olive varieties. This is due mainly to the inconsistency in flavour (either being very sweet or sour) and the small olive size.

This tree is found in a variety of habitats, often near water, e.g. on rocky hillsides, on stream banks and in woodland (where it can reach 12 m). It is widespread in Africa, Mascarene Islands, Arabia, India to China.

Attracts: Monkeys, baboons, Mongooses, Bushpigs, and Warthogs. A variety of birds including; Redwinged and Pied Starlings, Rameron Pigeon, African Green Pigeon, Cape Parrot and Louries.