Schotia brachypetala

Schotia brachypetala, commonly known as the weeping boerbean and the huilboerboon in Afrikaans, has here grown an imposing crown by the Crocodile River in the Kruger National Park. This tree counts among the giants of South Africa and Africa, reaching heights of 16 m, rarely 22 m, when conditions are favourable (SA Tree List No. 202).

A lot of tree to deal with when considering the spreading branches. The bright green foliage of the annual growing season casts a substantial shade during hot summer days. These trees also occur in arid bushveld and dry woodland where more modest mature heights may only be 3 m.

The species is distributed coastally from the east of the Eastern Cape, widespread in KwaZulu-Natal to the Mpumalanga Lowveld, the north of Gauteng and widespread in Limpopo.

The habitat is deciduous, open bushveld, woodland and scrub forest, typically in warm areas at lower altitudes. The proximity to a river or termite mound adds to the growth capacity. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).