isiXhosa: uMkakase, Inyazangoma

Afrikaans: rooistinkhout, Afrika-amandel

red stinkwood, African almond


red stinkwood, African almond

Prunus africana

Scientific name

Prunus africana, the African cherry, has a wide distribution in Africa, occurring in montane regions of central and southern Africa and on the islands of Bioko, São-Tomé, and Grande Comore. It can be found at 900-3,400 m (3,000-10,000 ft) above sea level. It is a canopy tree 30-40 m in height. Large-diameter trees have impressive, spreading crowns. It requires a moist climate, 900-3,400 mm (35-130 in) annual rainfall, and is moderately frost-tolerant. P. africana appears to be a light-demanding, secondary-forest species.

The bark is black to brown, corrugated or fissured, and scaly, fissuring in a characteristic rectangular pattern. The leaves are alternate, simple, 8-20 cm (3.1-7.9 in) long, elliptical, bluntly or acutely pointed, glabrous, and dark green above, pale green below, with mildly serrated margins. A central vein is depressed on top, prominent on the bottom. The 2 cm (0.8 in) petiole is pink or red. The flowers are androgynous, 10-20 stamens, insect-pollinated, 3-8 cm (1-3 in), greenish white or buff, and are distributed in 70 mm (2.8 in) axillary racemes. The plant flowers October through May. The fruit is a drupe, red to brown, 7-13 mm (0.3-0.5 in), wider than long, two-lobed, with a seed in each lobe. It grows in bunches ripening September through November, several months after pollination.

References and further reading

PlantZAfrica profile »

Wikipedia page »

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
We currently have no seeds of this species in our seedbanks. Do you have any seeds or do you know where we can get some? Get in touch!
Nursery Quantity
Mother Nursery 2
Total 2

Important characteristics

Conservation status: Vulnerable

This species was selected because it has various important characteristics.

This is a bird-friendly species

It provides medicinal value

Fragrant

It provides food for:

Honeybees/flies

Southern double-collared sunbird

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