Zanthoxylum capense

Zanthoxylum capense, commonly the small knobwood and previously scientifically Fagara capensis, is a small tree of 4 m to 7 m, only rarely reaching 10 m (SA Tree List No. 253).

The species distribution is along the South African southeastern and eastern coasts and inland, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State, as well as in the provinces north of the Vaal River. The tree is also common in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and in the east of Lesotho. The photo was taken near Hekpoort in the Magaliesberg.

The variable habitat found here includes open bushveld, rocky woodland and slopes at high altitude. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century.

The tree has several attractive features from a gardening perspective, such as appearance and size, being evergreen and resistant to temperature extremes, as well as to drought. The tree is, however, not easy to grow from seed.

Beetles pollinate the flowers that are greenish-white, small and inconspicuous (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; The Tree Society of Southern Africa, 1974; http://redlist.sanbi.org).