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Botanical name |
Peltophorum africanum (SA No 215) |
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Other names |
Weeping wattle; African wattle; huilboom (Afrikaans); mosethla (Tswana); umThobo (Zulu) |
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Family |
Fabaceae |
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Dimensions |
An attractive spreading tree of up to 9 m with a dense crown |
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Description of stem |
Grey to brown bark progressively rougher as it ages, longitudinally fissured; multiple branching from a low height |
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Description of leaves |
Compound leaves with 4 to 7 pairs of pinnae, each with 7 to 12 pairs of leaflets, green above, paler below, petiole and rachis characteristically covered in fine red-brown hairs, as are the tips of new leaves growing out |
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Description of flowers |
Profuse and conspicuous axillary sprays of bright yellow flowers in spring and summer; floral parts in fives, the name 'shield-bearing' refers to the shape of the stigma, petals crinkly; attract many insects and a variety of bird species |
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Description of seed/fruit |
Light brown flat, elliptical pods tapering to sharp points at both ends; turn grey when ripening, which occurs in mid-summer and autumn |
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Description of roots |
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Variation |
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Propagation and cultivation |
Grows readily from seed and young plants transplant without difficulty |
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Tolerances |
May not like extreme cold when young |
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Uses |
Planted in parks, along streets and in bigger gardens as a shade tree, wood is used as fuel and to make smaller implements; the dark heartwood is carved; the bark is chewed for colic or an infusion is ingested for stomach disorders; root tissue in powder form applied to wounds; browsed by game and livestock |
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Ecological rarity |
Common |
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Pests and diseases |
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Other |
Spittle bugs that attack the tree in certain geographic areas sometimes cause the tree to drip fluid as a 'rain tree' in spring |
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Location |
Grassland in summer rainfall areas, open bush and wooded valleys, often near termite mounds; thrives in well-drained soil |
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Distribution (SA provinces) |
Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-Natal |
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Country |
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, DRC, probably a still wider distribution in Africa |