Widdringtonia nodiflora lower trunk

The trunk of a Widdringtonia nodiflora tree is mainly straight and slender, the tree shape usually cylindrical or columnar. The bark is reddish brown when young, turning grey as it ages and tends to fissure and flake.

Thin rectangular, outer bark patches are visible here in a Kirstenbosch tree, as well as mild fluting of the stem. Old stem wounds still show in bark patterns, long after theyve healed.

The fragrant wood contains aromatic oil. It was used to make furniture in olden days, but is not really available for that purpose in South Africa any longer. The wood also featured in the construction of huts in some parts of South Africa (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993).