| DESCRIPTION: It is an aromatic evergreen tree, usually 5-10 m in height, but reaching 20 m in some areas, with a dense erect canopy. Bark smooth and grey on young branches but on older ones. USE: The leaves are edible. Leaves, pods and seeds all provide good fodder. Wood is used as timber and as firewood and charcoal. Resin and tannin can be extracted from the bark, which also has medicinal properties. The tree is planted for shade, as an ornamnetal and it makes an attractive dense hedge. The tree is nitrogen fixing and the foliage can be used for green manure and mulch. It can be intercropped for shade in coffee, banana and cocoa plantations. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: pepperbark tree. FURTHER INF: Habitat ranges from evergreen mountain forest to evergreen sandveld forest along the coast, also found in secondary bushland, wooded ravines and in grasslands. It is moderately drought resistant and not suitable for areas that experience frost. |
