Terminalia sericea spreading branches at several levels

Terminalia sericea branches may spread in several spaced, nearly horizontal layers up the main stem. The retained lower branches may be quite long, spreading in nearly parallel fashion, resulting in a slightly flat-topped, but overall rounded crown.

The bark on the main stem is several shades of grey. Fissuring on the bigger stems often deviates from the vertical, forming curved and pointed ridges where some flaking may be seen. These ridges join and split in semi-regular patterns along the stems.

Younger branches are dark brown or purplish, peeling in rings and strips and exposing pale brown underbark where the upper layer has been discarded. The bark of young silver cluster-leaf trees is sometimes used as rope (Carr, 1974; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).