Kiggelaria africana is a very hardy, evergreen to semi-deciduous, fast growing, medium to large sized tree which has very variable leaves.
Small, yellow flowers are borne from August to January, sexes are on separate trees, with solitary, larger, pendulous female flowers and smaller male flowers in clusters.
They are followed by decorative grey-green capsules that open into star-shaped cases to display shiny, black seeds covered with a bright orange-red coating.
It is the host plant to the Garden Acraea butterfly. This butterfly can defoliate the tree but its droppings fertilise the tree and it soon bursts back into leaf.
Cuckoos, which prey on the larva of the butterflies, are attracted to the garden as well as other birds that feed on the seeds. A must for a butterfly garden.
In exposed areas this tree can form part of an effective wind-break, or plant as an attractive specimen tree. Plant in sun or semi-shade.
Size 4 to 13m