Cordia africana

Cordia africana, or Mringaringa is a large tree that somehow always looks dry because of the colour of its foliage. Most usually I encountered the species standing alone in farms as a remnant of mixed forest cover. The smell of the flowers drew me to the tree.
Mringaringa was one of the indigenous trees that farmers were prepared to plant.
It is a forest tree and tolerates a wide variety of soils but does not tolerates extremes of drought.

Description: A much branched semi-deciduous tree with a rounded crown growing to about 12 metres. Bark is pale brown and finely grooved but rougher with age. The leaves are large and oval, slightly pointed at the tip and rounded at the base. The underside is covered with soft brown hairs. The leaves feel dry/leathery. Flowers are showy, with white petals and are funnel shaped, scented and attractive to bees.. Fruits are yellowish, 1 cm and in hairy cups. The flesh is sticky and each fruit contains 4-6 seeds.

Uses: Mringaringa is valued for its timber and makes fine furniture, roof shingles and traditional beehives; firewood, medicine (roots & bark), bee forage, shade in coffee plantations, soil conservation and is used as a boundary marker.

Propagation: There are >3000 seeds per Kg with a viability of around 70%. Fruits become ripe August/September. Seed stores for 1 year.
Soak seed in cold water for 12 hours prior to sowing directly into pots and the seedlings are big enough for outplanting after 1 year.
Protected trees establish quickly in the field.

The heartwood is hard and makes very nice bowls and furniture taking polish very well.
The tree does not compete greatly with crops like coffee because the leaves become mulch and as the shuts down, losing its leaves, it provides the opportunity for the soil to rehydrate.

Morus Species

Mulberry is a common tree in parts of Europe and the Middle East and while probably origination from temperate climates, it grows successfully in Tanzania.
There are actually three main species of Morus - alba, indica and nigra. The Swahili name is Mforasdi - usually for the larger fruiting alba and nigra; and the local name Mandela for the smaller fruiting indica. Indica is smaller in leaf and habit as well, but still I will lump these trees together here.

Description: A semi [sometimes] deciduous shrub, much branched <6 metres. Bark is grey and rough with age and resinous gum when cut - young wood has milky sap. Leaves are heart-shaped and toothed - alba having larger leaves and indica < 4cm. Dull green and with hairy underside. Flowers are separate sexes on the same tree - female with long soft hairs. Fruit are compound berries, red and turn black when ripe.

Uses: Fruit, fodder, also fodder for silk worms, fuel, shade, live fence.

Propagation: Easily struck from 8cm cuttings and grows quite fast.

Mandela is not popular because the fruit is small and insignificant but children eat them. However it is a very good tree for fodder as it regrows well, so good as a shelter fence that can be harvested.
The trick to be able to eat the fruit of the Black Mulberry is to beat the birds and monkeys. We had a tree outside our window and cheeky monkeys would regularly rob the pre-ripe fruit!
I was surprised how easily it is to propagate after buying Black Mulberry at home for an expensive price - and they did not perform well at all!
A vet called on me at Makumira wanting me to produce Mulberry trees in large number to start a silk industry - I was able to help him but by focus was not to set individuals up in their own industry. It turned out to be just an idea on his part, but it would be viable in the future.

Moringa oleifera

The English name Drumstick Tree refers to the mature seed pods, but it is also called Horse-radish because of the spice flavoring from the roots. The Swahili name is Mlonge.
The tree is indigenous to Indian but has been planted all over the tropics - probably by Indian people because it is a very useful tree.
The tree has naturalized in coastal East Africa and grows best to about 500m above sea level. The tree is quite drought resistant.

Description: A deciduous tree <10m high with pale, feathery foliage. Bark is thick and corky and in mature trees peels in patches. Leaves are pale green compound in groups of three along the stalk. the whole leaf is 30 - 50 cm. each leaflet is oval with the tip rounded < 2cm long. Flowers are cream to fading yellow in long sprays, fragrant and attracting insects. Fruit are long capsules/pods to about 45cm in triangular sections, splitting when ripe to release dark brown 3 winged seeds.Uses: Food - young leaves, young pods and also flowers. Spice flavoring from the young roots. medicine, fodder, bee fodder, oil (Ben oil), soil conservation, fibre, live fence and water purification from the seed cake.

Propagation: There are >5 000 seeds per kg with a viability of 60% and the seed may be kept for up to 1 year if kept dry.
Sow directly into pots or cold water soak for 6 hours prior - I never found this necessary.
Seedling grow quickly and establish well in good conditions.

The tree is very useful but the populations around Arusha/Meru don't know the species well well so do not utilize it. One Indian woman in Valeska had a tree growing there and used it well but really the climate is not suited to the species and generally it does not thrive at such altitudes.
I trialled it and found it difficult to grow in the nursery - I guess the night temperatures were too cold.

There was an Indian ma who came around the area wanting farmers to plant Mlonge trees and he guaranteed to come back to purchase the seed - in the event he never came back, but when I was asked by the people I worked with, I told them the tree would not thrive unless in micro-climates that suit it.

However Mama Mbembe decided to recommend the project and went all out to provide seedlings and talk farmers into planting large areas [for them]. The results were patchy to say the least, and in the end farmers removed the surviving trees. It was a pity that they were removed because even if poorly growing, the tree is remarkably useful.

Water purification: After the oil has been removed from the seed [crushed] the remaining seed cake can be used to clean water. That is it causes clays silt and fecal content to lose its suspension in the water and become sediment. It does not make the water pure just clean - therefore it still requires boiling but is much more pleasant to drink.
Boil the water!