Greyia sutherlandii

Greyia sutherlandii, the Natal bottlebrush or the glossy bottlebrush, is a shrub or small, crooked tree reaching heights from 3 m to 7 m (SA Tree List No. 446). It branches much to form a spreading crown. The reddish grey bark is smooth when young, darkening to grey brown and roughening with age.

The species distribution is mainly in KwaZulu-Natal, extending into the Eastern Cape, the Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as into Lesotho and Swaziland.

The tree’s habitat is steep, montane grassland and the crests of rocky ridges, from the coast to elevations around 2135 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

The pale brown to pinkish wood is light and soft, used for carving household utensils and ornaments. The fast-growing tree is widely cultivated as a garden subject. It flowers well in cold conditions and survives severe frost. The nectar of the flowers attracts birds, particularly sunbirds and Gurney's sugarbird (Pooley, et al, 2005; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).