Bridelia micrantha

Mkarati, or Bridelia is indigenous to Tanzania and is very suitable for planting in East and Southern Africa. It Grows well in a variety of climates from river valleys to open woodland. 

Description: A medium sized, leafy evergreen usually with a dense spreading crown < 15m high. Bark is grey/brown and flakes with age. Young stems zigzag  and are dotted with breathing pore.. Leaves are alternate - appearing compound - and are shiny, dark green, 12 cm veins parallel, extending to the margin. Flowers are small, yellowish and bunched in the leaf axils. Male and female flowers are on different trees. Fruit are 8mm purple-black oval berries that are sweet and edible when ripe.

Uses:  Shade, mulch, fruit and medicine make the tree worth conserving, but grown sustainably the harvested tree produces fuelwood, charcoal timber, poles and tool handles.

Propagation: The tree is a prolific seeder and there are >20 000 seeds per kg. Germination of fresh seed is good at 90% within 30 days. No seed treatment is necessary.

Direct sow into pots for later outplanting.

Seed cannot be stored.

The tree is becoming scarce due to over-exploitation. The wood is termite resistant - which is probably why it is utilized so much.

Goats even chew on the bark and other animals feed on the berries.

At the village of Soko we found a huge tree and the fallen fruit - seed - could be scooped up by the handful.

Bauhinia variegata

Bauhinia, Orchid Tree or Camel's Foot originated from Tropical Asia, India and China. In Tanzania the species grows well and is used as an ornamental tree.

Description: A small semi-deciduous tree to about 6m. Bark is grey and smooth, furrowed and flaking as the tree becomes older. Leaves are alternate, dull green with two lobes 10 - 12 cm across - camel foot shaped -  veins radiating from the base. Flowers are pink/white in short sprays with each flower having five petals marked with rose/yellow/green. Often one petal different in shape and colour as with an orchid. Fruit are flat brown pods >20cm long twisted when open releasing flat seeds 1cm across.

Uses: Principally in Tanzania as an ornamental tree but the pods and flowers are edible and used throughout Asia. Wood is suitable for fuelwood, tool handles. Fodder, shade and soil conservation.

Propagation: 4-5 000 seeds per kg and fresh seed germinate within three weeks (70%). Seeds can be stored but will require soaking before planting. Sow directly into pots.

Our seed source was at the CEDAH complex and we supplied trees to most village/schools. Young seedlings are palatable to livestock and will be destroyed unless protected.

Bauhinia petersiana

Mgobwali or White Bauhinia [Edible Bauhinia] is indigenous to Tanzania and other parts of Africa. It grows on old termite mounds in woodland areas of medium altitude.The species tolerated dry periods and is noticeable because the thick, black seedpods remain on the tree after the seed have been explosively dispersed.

Description: An evergreen and sometimes deciduous tree > 7m, round-shaped with spreading branches almost from the ground. Branchlets had brown hairs. Bark is pale to dark brown, powdery and smooth when young and flaking in vertical strips when older. The leaves are alternate and simple, blue/green in colour and divided into two lobes - camel foot - 3 - 8 cm across and tomentose below. Flowers are fragrant and white with pink stamens. Petals are wavy and bend backwards. Fruit are dark brown/black pods, smooth, 18cm long and 6 - 8cm wide, splitting explosively to expel 5 - 8 brown/purple seeds that are oily and shiny.

Uses: Seeds are a food source in famine time (not preferred) and early explorers ground a coffee substitute  from the seeds, traditional medicine from roots and leaves, fodder from leaves (and sometimes pods), shade, amenity, tannin from the roots.

Propagation:  There are 1 500 seeds per kg and seeds can only be stored with refrigeration. Pre-soak seed in cold water for 12 hours or carefully nick the seed coat. Sow direct into pots.

There were a few trees on the road to Leguruke and along the section of main road around Kikatiti.

Farmers have left them growing which indicates they have seen value in the tree. We collected seed on occasion and sent some trees out to the various villages.

Annona squamosa

Mtopetope, or  Custard Apple is indigenous to the West Indies and Central America and is grown throughout the tropics. Around Arusha I found it to be an occasional species and usually in gardens of people with an interest in planting them.

The species requires >1000mm rainfall and prefers slightly acid soils.hile it can survive drought, it requires uniform soil moisture from flowering to fruit well.

Description: A small semi-deciduous tree growing perhaps to 6 metres with a short trunk, then branching out widely. Bark is grey with an interlaced pattern of shallow fissures. The leaves are alternate, thin and a dullish green.Narrow oval in shape - 7 - 15 cm. The leaves shed in drought conditions. Flowers are inconspicuous and in groups of 2 - 4, though also solitary and on a stalk. Each flower has 3 fleshy outer petals 2.5cm long, light green and purple at the base - there are 3 inner petals, very small to non-existent,. The fruit are compound and roughly heart-shaped, 5 - 10 cm in diameter. The skin is green/yellow and sometimes powdery. Inside the flesh is yellow/white, aromatic and sweet. The fruit is in sections and within each section is a shiny, large black seed.

Uses: Fruit - has a high vitamin C count. Of course the tree produces fuelwood (but it is too valuable a tree to destroy), ornamental and shelter.

Propagation: The species is best propagated from seed and well stored seed may last for 10 months. There is no treatment necessary to the seed which should be sown directly. No doubt fresh seed is best. Germination is often within a month.

Trees should not be planted closer than 6 metres apart because the tree is susceptible to root-rot. Fruit is left on the tree until it is ripe.

We did not produce many trees for outplanting because seed was difficult to acquire and there were not many sites suitable for outplanting. 

  

Albizia schipmeriana subsp. schimperiana

Mruka is what we called the species in our seminars, from the Kimeru Mduruka, but I find it difficult to identify separately to Albizia gummifera, the most reliable method of identification being the longer seed pods in this species. The name may not be important and harvested the tree has many uses, but these days who would want to down such a beautiful and (when still standing) useful tree.

Description: A semi deciduous tree up to 20 metres with a wide, umbrella shaped crown. Bark is smooth and usually grey and perhaps brownish. Branchlets have velvety brown hairs. Leaves are compound - 4 - 7 leaflets each side on a stalk of about 25 cm. Leaflets are pale and hairy beneath and upper-side glossy green. Tips are rounded. Flowers are creamy white in loose conspicuous heads. Stalks are slightly hairy. Fruit are numerous and persistent dull brown pods with thicker edges. 30 x 6 cm but often smaller with many large seeds.

 

Uses: Fuel-wood and charcoal, timber, tool handles, medicine, bee fodder, monkeys too eat the flowers, shade. soil conservation, nitrogen fixation, gum.

 

Propagation:  There are up to 15 000 seeds per kg. Seeds are attacked by insects on the tree, so need to harvested as soon as ripe. Germination is less than 50% and sporadic. Best and even germination is achieved by  nicking the seed-coat before sowing directly into pots, or by hot water soaking for 24 hours.

Seed stores well if kept cool and dry and insect free.

Seedlings in the nursery are susceptible to pest so should not be retained in the nursery for long.

The species is most suited to higher, cooler sites and prefers shade when first out planted.

A tree behind our house at Makumira always flowered profusely and attracted nuisance monkeys. That same tree did not shed leaves  perhaps because the soil moisture levels were higher than other areas.

It is a good tree to nurture. But needs shade when first out-planted.