Tree of the month

To give you an idea of what’s happening in the bush we’ve decided to choose a tree each month that’s prominent in our surroundings. This month it’s the turn of the purple-pod terminalia (Terminalia prunoides), also known as the lowveld cluster leaf.

Belonging to the Combretum family, the purple-pod terminalia gets its common name from the deep plum coloured fruits which are present during autumn and winter. The grass in the bush has now lost its colour & many of the leaves are also turning from green to brown, making the inedible purple pods of this tree even more conspicuous.

The wood of the purple-pod terminalia is remarkably heavy, being only slightly lighter than the celebrated leadwood tree (Combretum imberbe). As a result it is used as building material, providing items such as fence posts and axe handles.