White Stinkwood
Celtis africana
Common names: Witstinkhout (Afr.); umVumvu (Xhosa)
SA Tree No: 39
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Size:
This beautiful deciduous tree grows up to 25 m tall in a forest habitat.
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Bark:
Smooth, pale grey to white bark. It may be loosely peeling in old trees and sometimes has horizontal ridges.
Leaf:
The new leaves in Spring are bright, fresh green and hairy, turning darker green and becoming smoother as they mature. By April the leaves are already turning yellow, and winter there are none.
Flower:
The flowers appear in spring (August to October). They are small, greenish, star-like and inconspicuous. Separate male and female flowers are produced on the same tree..
Fruit:
Masses of small, rounded, berry-like fruits on 13 mm long stalks follow the flowers, from October to February. When they turn yellow-brown to black they are ripe.
Growth Habit:
In an exposed, rocky position it may be nothing more than a shrub, but well-grown specimens will have a single, straight bole branching to form a dense, semi-circular canopy..
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Habitat:
It grows as a dense forest, on rocky outcrops, in bushveld, in open grassland, on mountain slopes, on coastal dunes, and along river banks and in kloofs.
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Wildlife:
Many birds like Rameron pigeons, willow warblers, black-eyed bulbuls, mousebirds and crested barbets feed on the fruits and disperse the seeds.
The leaves are food for the larvae of the long-nosed butterfly.
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Distribution:
It occurs in a wide range of habitats from the coast up to 2 100 m, from the Cape Peninsula northwards through South Africa to Ethiopia.
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Uses:
The African people have always used it to make a variety of household articles. It is also thought to have magical properties. The wood is mixed with crocodile fat as a charm against lightning, and many people believe that it has the power over evil and that pegs of wood driven into the ground will keep witches away.
Growing it...
Celtis africana is easy to grow and is fast-growing. It is fairly drought resistant and can withstand frost. It does best in good, rich, deep soil with plenty of water in summer. Freshly collected seed germinates easily. Seeds collected from the ground are usually infested by insects, so it is best to harvest from the tree. The flesh from the berry is best cleaned off and the seeds should be sown in a flat seedling tray filled with river sand and well-decomposed compost (5 parts river sand to 1 part compost). The seeds should be covered with a thin layer of river sand and kept moist. The trays should be placed in a warm but shaded area. Germination will take 15 to 30 days with an expected germination of 70%. Transplant the seedlings into good, rich soil and give them plenty of water and they will grow fairly fast, putting on 1 to 2 m per year.
April Photo's
