Mazhar Botanic Garden

Cussonia sphaerocephala Strey

Forest cabbage-tree Natal forest cabbage tree

Sample code: EGY-MBG-000615
English name: Forest cabbage-tree, Natal forest cabbage tree
Arabic name: كوسونيا اشفيروسيفالا
Native: South Africa
Country: South Africa
(PGR): Very rare

Deciduous tree grows up to 25 m high the main stem is straight, single and sparsely branched towards the top, each branch has a neat, dense, rounded head of leaves at the tip flowers  yellowish green, densely packed into short, thickset spikes,  looking like candles at the tips of the short branches fruits fleshy, cone shaped, contains a single seed resembling grape pips

Ornamental plant. Medicinal plant. The roots are juicy and are peeled and eaten in times of famine, or chewed and the juice swallowed as a source of water in an emergency when water is scarce. The wood is soft and has been used to make brake-blocks, water buckets and drums.

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Texture: Loam Sandy
Fertility: Intermediate
Drainage: Well drained
Topography: Desert
Salinity: Low
Water Sources: Moderate Water
Climates: Subtropics
Lights: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds
Flowering time: Spring - summer
Zone: 9 b : 10 b
pH range: 6.1- 7.8

The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and Mazhar Botanic Garden does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.