Combretaceae - Bushwillow family
SA Tree 539
The leadwood is common to South Africa's Lowveld, in low-lying areas and near streams and rivers. It often grows in association with the marula and knob thorn trees. Generally only young trees grow in groups, but there may be other mature trees in the vicinity.
It is a sometimes a shrub, but more frequently a small to large tree, growing up to 20 m, with sparse density. The tree grows very slowly, forming an exceptionally hard wood. Dead trees also decay very slowly, often becoming well-known landmarks. Some of these dead trees have been carbon-dated at over a thousand year. They occur at medium to low altitudes, in mixed woodland, often along river or dry watercourses, particularly on alluvial soils.
This is a very tall, high-branching, majestic tree. The sparse foliage has a yellow tinge throughout the year. The bark is sometimes light grey, smooth and cracked in rectangular flakes, but most often dark grey to almost black and rough with characteristic deep longitudinal furrows and irregular transverse cracks. Mature trees often have dead, bare branches and twigs. It produces small, four-winged pods.
Links with animals - The leaves are eaten by giraffe, elephant, kudu and impala.
Human uses - The wood burns slowly and forms good coals, making it a highly sought-after cooking fuel. However, to protect our trees, food fires are discouraged. The calcium- rich ash is used as a whitewash on houses. The flowers are used in cough mixture, while the leaves and fruit are believed to have mystical powers. This specie of tree usually recovers well if damaged by elephant or other animals. Because of the wood being so hard and difficult to work with, it is not suitable for the making of furniture. However, it turns well and has been used for ornaments. It makes fine fencing standards, mine props and railway sleepers.
Gardening - The leadwood will grow in most well-drained gardens, is fairly drought- resistant, but could be damaged by frost. It can easily be grown from seed, but is extremely slow-growing, and the seeds are thought to be poisonous.
Leaves - Simple, opposite, broadly elliptic with a smooth margin. The leaves are yellow to grey-green, without hairs, but with silvery, microscopic scales densely covering both surfaces; apex broadly tapering to rounded, often with a fine hair-like tip.The colour of the leaves give the whole tree a greyish appearance, except when it is in heavy fruit. The leaves are often produced on short spinescent lateral shoots and are thinly textured, but rather leathery.
Flowers - Cream to yellow in rather slender spikes of inconspicuous but sweet-scented flowers appear after the leaves. and give the tree a stronger yellow tinge in November and December.(50 x 15mm)
Pods - The characteristic Combretum four winged pod, densely covered with silvery scales, and pale yellowish-green even when mature, contains one seed and drops soon after it ripens in autumn. The pod is small for the size of the tree. (15 mm)
This tree is protected species in South West Africa.
Best places to see the Leadwood in Southern Africa:
The Leadwood is found in the Kruger National Park in the Mixed Bushwillow Woodlands, Malelane Mountain Bushveld, Knob Thorn / Marula Savannah, Riverine Communities, Olifants Rugged Veld, Alluvial Plains & Tree Mopane Savannah 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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