Combretaceae - Bushwillow family
SA Tree 532
These trees are found on the crests of the granite Ecozones at medium to low altitudes in dry open woodland.
The tree is medium sized, 4 - 10 m, with moderate density. It has a short, often curved stem and is usually multi-stemmed. The leaves are shiny green, with yellow leaves seen amongst them most of the year. The medium-sized, russet, four-winged pods are visible most of the year, and it has a spreading, mostly formless, canopy. The bark is grey to brownish- grey, smooth, becoming scaly and rough with age, and breaking off in flat uneven pieces.
Links with animals - Only the young and fallen leaves are eaten regularly, but the mature green leaves are eaten by kudu, bushbuck, eland, giraffe and elephant. The fruit is eaten by brownheaded parrots.
Human uses - The very heavy wood is resistant to both borer and termites, but as the pieces are not largely, can only be used to make small items of furniture. It provides useful fencing posts and make a good firewood.
Gardening - This tree will grow in most gardens, preferring sandy soil or rocky areas with clay soil. It is not attractive, but may grow into a lovely shade tree. It is fairly drought-resistant but cannot withstand severe frost. It can be grown from seed and is slow-growing.
Leaves - Simple, opposite, broad elliptic with a smooth entire margin. While the leaves are shiny green, yellow leaves are visible amongst them for most of the year. The tip of the leaf is characteristically twisted and points upwards. It is thinly leathery and young leaves are sticky and glutinous, with hairs along the veins, or with pockets of hairs in the axils of the veins on the under- surface.(65 x 35 mm)
Flowers - The flowers are yellow to creamy-green, sweet-scented, cylindrical spikes are not very conspicuous and arise from red buds with the new leaves, in early spring, during September and October.
Pods - The characteristic four-winged pods, reddish brown when mature, with a satiny sheen and possibly soft hairs,and a single seed in the centre, hang in bunches which ripen in late summer and autumn. (25 x 20 mm)
Best places to see the Red Bushwillow in Southern Africa:
The Red Bushwillow is found in the Kruger National Park in the Mixed Bushwillow Woodlands, Pretoriuskop Sourveld, Malelane Mountain Bushveld, Sabie Crocodile Thorn Thickets, Lebombo Mountain Bushveld, Olifants Rugged Veld, Sandveld & Mopane / Bushwillow Woodlands ecozones.
 Tree species of Southern Africa >> Printable Tree List <<
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The Plant Kingdom (Plantae)
Wildlife - Fauna & Flora of Southern Africa
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