Rooibos – Combretum apiculatum
- Particular as to where it grows, only on well drained sandy, rocky or gravel soils
- Leaves are nourishing, particularly the new foliage, it is eaten with relish by antelope as well as elephants & giraffe & cattle
- Medicinally used to treat stomach problems (seeds probably slightly toxic)
- Timber much sort of, it’s durable and one of the heaviest of all lowveld trees therfore particularly good as a fuel wood, especially for cooking as the coals last for up to 12 hours
- Dark bark tends to crack into somewhat rectangular flakes, which gradually fall from the stem.
