Who wouldn’t want a tree that has won tree of the year as part of their garden? This gorgeous tree has leaves that change colour with the changing seasons, it gets flowers and fruits as well as being the perfect tree for kids to climb on and play in with a tree house. If there was ever a tree that you can admire in every season, it would be the Combretum Kraussi, also another indigenous tree of South Africa.
The semi-deciduous Combretum Kraussi, otherwise known to us in South Africa as the Forest Bushwillow or Bosvaderlandswilg is widely spread out across our country. It is mainly found in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, yet as it is such an easy grower it can be planted and grown in any region. This powerful growing tree goes from a seedling to about 1.5m-1.7m in height in two seasons(two years) and is perfect for those who don’t have a green thumb. On average the Combretum Kraussii will grow up to 7m-9m in height as a mature tree.
The flowers and fruit of the Combretum Kraussi attract and feed our local birds while simultaneously feeding our honey bees with its sweet smelling nectar. The tree attracts a multitude of insects, including butterflies and moths. Insectivorous birds will be found foraging in and around the tree and the seed-eating species love the fruits. Birds also tend to enjoy building their nests in the concealing branches.
The flowers of the Combretum come out in spring to summer showing off in your garden as white cylinder shaped tufts. Once these flowers fall the fruits will follow from February. The small fruits are four-winged and change colour as they ripen. Their colour converts from light to dark red/purple in the ripening process and finally ends up reddish brown when drying out.
When it comes to soil this tree is hardy enough to grow in clay to sandy soil and doesn’t have an aggressive root system. This makes it the perfect tree to plant in your garden even if there is a pool, paving or building nearby. It is frost resistant as well as being able to withstand heat while requiring moderate watering. In hot summers when there is not a lot of rainfall it is especially important to deep water this tree.
As with some of our other indigenous trees the Combretum Kraussi has also been used in traditional medicines. Pieces of the tree have been used to make antiseptics and tonics, there have been ointments made to treat eye infections as well as using it in the process of making antidiuretics to prevent inflammation and digestive disorders. Some even use the grinded up roots in bath water to relieve pain.
This tree is not only beautiful in every season with its foliage and fruits changing colour, but is also easy to grow and hardy enough for any of South Africa’s provinces. As the Combretum Kraussi is seen as an ornamental tree with many advantages there is no doubt that planting this indigenous tree in your garden is one of your best choices when planning an appealing landscape.