- Family: Araliaceae.
- Common names: cabbage-tree, common cabbage tree; kiepersol (Afr); umsenge(S, Z & Xh. ); motshetshe (NS)
- SA Tree No: 564.
only R 100 to R 250/ tree
Marietta Willimse
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+2783 456 4138
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In 20ltr bags
Indigenous trees for Sale - Vaal Marina
Trees provide shade, privacy, attractive foliage and beautiful flowers, and they also improve air quality, reduce noise and hide undesirable views. If you plant an indigenous tree, it will also work that much harder to attract birds and butterflies to your garden, while being far more drought-resistant than an exotic tree species.
WHAT ARE INDIGENOUS TREES?
A tree, or plant, is indigenous to a region or area if it grew and evolved there through natural processes. Benefits of planting indigenous varieties include the fact that it is often much hardier and more attractive to the local wildlife.
Vaal Marina Cabbage Trees
The cabbage-tree is a strikingly beautiful garden tree which is widely cultivated both locally and abroad for its striking evergreen foliage. Its unusual form makes it a feature in the garden as well as in its natural habitat. The genus Cussonia as a whole is less well known to horticulture, despite the fact that it hosts numerous very attractive species from dwarf to very large trees.
Description
The cabbage-tree is an attractive, quick growing, relatively long lived tree which can attain a height of 15m. Cussonias in general have the peculiar habit of producing their attractive leaves toward the ends of thick branches in large round heads. Trees typically have between 1 – 15 such heads, although older specimens may develop many more.
Distribution and habitat
Cussonia spicata occurs naturally over a wide range in the wetter areas of southern Africa from the southern Cape and eastern parts of the country extending through Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and further north reaching into tropical Africa.
The species is variable depending on origin, some forms being more frost tolerant than others. The more resistant forms may tolerate a moderate degree of frost but will require protection when young. Other forms which originate in sub-tropical areas on the KwaZulu-Natal & Eastern Cape coast will not tolerate even a mild degree of frost. The species enjoys ample water, full sun or semi shade, especially when young.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
The name Cussonia is named after the Professor of Botany at the University of Montpellier. Prof. Pierre Cusson. (1727 – 1783). The specific name spicata means spike-like in reference to the arrangement of the flowers.
