Searsia discolor

The grassveld currant or grasveldtaaibos in Afrikaans was until recently still known as Rhus discolor. The plant is only a shrub, not a tree as are so many Searsia species. It is erect and branched, not exceeding 1 m in height. The main attraction is the foliage, particularly striking when in autumn colours.

The species distribution is widespread across the eastern parts of the country from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo, absent from the Western Cape and Northern Cape. It also grows in Lesotho and Swaziland.

The habitat is varied, mostly summer rainfall grassland, sometimes rocky slopes and outcrops. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Schmidt, et al, 2002; http://redlist.sanbi.org).