Description
It is a beautiful, tall tree with a lovely canopy. Evergreen over much of its range however it is briefly deciduous in cold or dry winters. The dark, glossy leaves are lighter beneath and they turn yellow then red just before they fall. The sprays of tiny white flowers are sweetly scented, like orange blossoms and are pollinated by bees and ants. It flowers between September and November and male and female flowers occur on separate trees. It produces large fruit which are fleshy and red but only female trees bear fruits. These are edible and taste of onions. They are eaten by birds like the Hornbills, Louries and Mousebirds, mammals, monkey and baboon. The fallen fruit is eaten by bushpig, bushuck and nyala. It is also browsed by game, kudu, nyala and bushbuck and is used as fodder in times of drought. It is useful for a game farm. It also attracts butterflies as it is the larval host plant for the White-barred Emperor butterflies, the fastest flying butterfly in Southern Africa. Nine moth species also use this tree. Plant in full sun where it will get lots of water, Be warned that it is frost tender and is only suitable for warm Highveld gardens. The wood is used for furniture and beams and the bark is used medicinally for heartburn and dysentery. Roots are used to treat coughs, gastritis and headaches. The leaves are used to treat intestinal worms. It makes a good, fast growing street and shade tree. Plant it 4 meters from a building or a pool. It is a protected tree in South Africa. Named for Carl Gustov Ekeberg (1716-1784) a Swedish ships captain who worked for the Dutch East India Company. He was also a chemist, cartographer and a surgeon. Between 1742 and 1778 he made 10 trips to China and India and brought back plants for his friend Linnaeus. He wrote numerous books about his travels as well as one about inoculation. He was a fellow of the Swedish Academy of Science and Knight of the Order of Vasa.
