Snuffbox tree / Snuifkalbassie
Snuffbox tree / Snuifkalbassie
This spiny shrub or small tree with pretty white flowers is known for the snuff boxes that can be made from its hard-shelled fruit. An ideal barrier plant.
Botanical Name:
Oncoba spinosa
Did you know?
Flowers somewhat resemble a fried egg and in Zimbabwe it is called the fried-egg flower.
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Hook-thorn / Haakdoring
Hook-thorn / HaakdoringThis beautiful tree is the most common naturally occurring senegalia in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It has an irregular, spreading crown. One of the most attractive features of the tree is the foliage which is bright green and feathery looking. The leaves are drooping which gives the canopy a lovely soft look.
Botanical Name:
Senegalia caffra
Did you know?
The common hook-thorn is used traditionally for many purposes such as fencing posts, tanning and the beautiful rootwood is highly valued by Xhosa women for tobacco pipes.
Wild mango / Wilde mango
Wild mango / Wilde mangoThis is a tall tree with a flat-topped, widespreading crown. The yellowish-orange flowers resemble an old fashioned powder puff. Elephants love the fruit!
Botanical Name:
Cordylia africana
Did you know?
Did you know that Africa has its own mango? Although the fruit is not as big and tasty as the exotic one and it belongs to a different family, it is extremely rich in vitamin C.
Toad tree / Padda boom
Toad tree / Padda boomA beautiful bushveld tree that can be recognised by its large, glossy leaves, fragrant white flowers and large fruit borne in pairs. With its unusual fruits it is excellent for gardeners wanting to bring nature back into their garden ? it attracts birds, insects and small mammals.
Botanical Name:
Tabernaemontana elegans
Did you know?
The seeds are burnt, grounded to a powder and mixed with tobacco for chewing or smoking by the Zulu people.
False buffalo thorn / Vals buffeldoring
False buffalo thorn / Vals buffeldoring
False buffalo thorn / Vals buffeldoring
False buffalo thorn / Vals buffeldoringA thornless, upright tree with dark green leaves. Flocks of birds are attracted by the yellow berries, which ripen at the end of summer. The tree can also be used as a windbreaker.
Botanical Name:
Ziziphus rivularis
Did you know?
Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-‘n-bietjie tree is said to represent life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag, indicating that life is not always straightforward. Two thorns at the nodes are also significant; one facing backward represents where we come from and one facing forward, represents where we are going.
