Albizia adianthifolia

Common Names

Flatcrown (english)
Platkroon (afrikaans)
muelela (venda)
usolo (zulu)
umhlandlothi (xhosa)

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Taxonomy

Family FABACEAE
Genus Albizia
Species adianthifolia
SA Plant Number 148
Basionym Albizia adianthifolia

Description

Albizia adianthifolia is a magnificent, semi-hardy, large, deciduous, wide-spreading, distinctively flat topped tree.The rough, grey-brown bark splits into squares and resembles crocodile skin.It has graceful, quite large, dark-green compound leaves.

This lovely tree bears masses of sweetly-scented, greenish-white flowers with long stamens giving them a ‘half round puffball’ look from August to December.The copious nectar attracts a multitude of butterflies that breed on the tree.Both insectivorous and nectar feeding birds also are attracted to the flowers.

It has large pale, papery pods.The light brown wood is used for parquet floors and it has many medicinal and traditional uses.For larger areas it makes a beautiful shade tree and an ideal garden, car park and avenue tree.

Plant in a protected area in compost-rich soil in sun or shade.

Size: 10 to 25m

Wildlife

Uses

Distribution

Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape

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