Gardenia volkensii in fruit in Gauteng in June

Large round fruits like these of Gardenia volkensii (SA Tree List No. 691), attract all kinds of observers and some users. The fruits are striking: longitudinally ribbed, grey-green and nearly spherical. They are marked with scattered, wart-like dots (lenticels) upon their surfaces.

These fruits are commonly eaten in the veld by baboons, monkeys, elephants and some antelopes. Unfortunately they dont make the grade as food for humans. Inside each fruit is a pulp with many brown disc-like seeds embedded. The fruits persist for a few months on the tree. 

The tree will surely look good in the bigger sunny inland garden focussed on indigenous species (www.plantzafrica.com).