Mimusops caffra

Mimusops caffra

Quantity:

Common Names

Coastal Red Milkwood (english)Kusrooimelkhout (afrikaans)Umkhakhayi (zulu)Umtunzi (xhosa)

Taxonomy

Family SAPOTACEAE
Genus Mimusops
Species caffra
SA Plant Number 583
Basionym Mimusops caffra

Description

Mimusops caffra is a hardy, medium-sized to large, evergreen tree with a dense neat crown of attractive grey-green leaves.

This tree tolerates heavy salt spray and this same mechanism allows it to tolerate quite a lot of frost even though it is a plant of the dune forest.

It bears creamy white flowers from September to December which attract, bees, carpenter bees and sunbirds. These are followed by large orange-red fruits which are also much sought after by birds.

Plant in well-drained, well-composted soil, in sun or semi-shade, as an element of a forest garden or as a lovely specimen plant. It grows well in a container.

Used in traditional medicine.

Size 4 to 15m.

Seeds

Lifestyle Seeds may have stock of Mimusops caffra seeds.

Wildlife

Wildlife garden plant: The flowers attract a lot of pollinating insects and the fruit attract birds to the garden.

Butterfly Host Plant: Mimusops caffra is the larval food plant of members of the Nymphallidae butterfly family.

Distribution

KwaZulu Natal,Eastern Cape

Natural Habitat Coastal Scrub  

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