Combretum imberbe

This pale Combretum imberbe stem supports a well-spread crown. Earlier branching that lasted aimed upwards, adding to the top and leaving the lower stems bare.

These trees grow on open plains as well as among riverine vegetation. A good, symmetrical shape may be a sign of an uneventful youth, not having been interfered with too much early on by competitor growth.

The age that leadwood trees reach often allows them to outlast surrounding vegetation, spending their maturity among different plants than those that surrounded them in their youth (Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009).