The nostalgic brachystegias

THE richness of the African savanna tells a story from the past, one that can never exclude the brachystegia group of trees. Of note is brachystegia spiciformis, commonly known as the msasa tree, which instils a sense of awe in the landscape. Plant a lawn under the msasa tree, and your garden will become a dwelling fit for kings and queens.

This tree should never be cut down unless, of course, when old age beckons it.

Known as igonde in isiNdebele, it is a medium sized tree which can grow to 16 metres in height or up to 18 metres in areas with higher rainfall volumes. It has compound leaves and small racemes of fragrant green flowers.

When the leaves sprout in spring, they have a distinctive amber red wine colour, which makes the tree very attractive from August to September. It is a common tree in Southern and Eastern Africa.

Brachystegia spiciformis prefers a consistent wet and dry seasonal pattern with a minimum rainfall of 500 millimetres.

The tree is a good source of firewood, charcoal or even making beehives.

The wood is not very durable, hence its use for general purposes.

It also has medicinal uses in treating dysentery and stomach problems.

Then another brachystegia tree fit to be a royal tree is the Prince of Wales Feathers.

Though it grows rather slowly, it is a beautiful tree nonetheless.

Mupfuti (in Shona) or mfuti (in isiNdebele) can reach a height of five to 15 metres. This tree can grow in thendrier miombo woodland, especially in the poorly drained and rocky terrain.

Another tree worthy to be mentioned, although not a brachystegia, is the julbernadia globiflora.

The mnondo tree is widely confused with the msasa tree as they look alike. lt usually grows in the same areas where the msasa tree thrives.

However, the trees’ leaflets are different. The msasa tree leaflets increase in size towards the end of the leaf, thereby making them hang downwards. On the other hand, the mnondo tree leaflets are biggest in the middle.

The mnondo tree blooms in mid-summer, much later after the msasa tree. The mnondo flowers and pods are always concentrated on the top of the canopy, while the msasa ones are scattered among the leaves.

Even though the brachystegias grow slowly, they are a group of trees that is worth having in one’s garden. Purchase already established trees in pots as the tree takes long to establish.

Enjoy the elegance that this tree will bring to your landscape.