Mimusops caffra

Mimusops caffra

Common Names

Coastal Red Milkwood (english)
Kusrooimelkhout (afrikaans)
Umkhakhayi (zulu)
Umtunzi (xhosa)

Taxonomy

Family SAPOTACEAE
Genus Mimusops
Species caffra
SA Plant Number 583
Basionym Mimusops caffra

Description

Mimusops caffra is a hardy, medium-sized to large, evergreen tree with a dense neat crown of attractive grey-green leaves.

This tree tolerates heavy salt spray and this same mechanism allows it to tolerate quite a lot of frost even though it is a plant of the dune forest.

It bears creamy white flowers from September to December which attract, bees, carpenter bees and sunbirds. These are followed by large orange-red fruits which are also much sought after by birds.

Plant in well-drained, well-composted soil, in sun or semi-shade, as an element of a forest garden or as a lovely specimen plant. It grows well in a container.

Used in traditional medicine.

Size 4 to 15m.

Wildlife

Wildlife garden plant:

The flowers attract a lot of pollinating insects and the fruit attract birds to the garden.

Butterfly Host Plant:

Mimusops caffra is the larval food plant of members of the Nymphallidae butterfly family.

Uses

Distribution

KwaZulu Natal,Eastern Cape

Natural Habitat:

Coastal Scrub

 

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