Cussonia spicata

Cussonia spicata, known as spiked cabbage tree, lowveld cabbage tree or common cabbage tree, is a tree in the family Araliaceae, which is native to the moister regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is cultivated as a garden plant in areas without extreme degrees of frost. It is one of the favorite foods of wild elephants.

Description

A thickset tree. It grows 3-10 m tall. The bark is yellowish-grey. It is thick and corky. The leaves are crowded near the ends of the branches. They are compound leaves and up to 70 cm across. There are 5-9 leaflets from the end of a stout leaf stalk. This can be 40 cm long. The leaflets are dark green or bluish-green. They are lobed and dissected. The edge has sharp teeth. The flowers are greenish-yellow. They are closely packed along 8-12 thick spikes. These are 5-15 cm long by 1.5-4 cm wide. The fruit is angular. It is 4-6 mm across. They are purple when mature.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten. The thick young roots or tubers are dug out, peeled, and chewed. The roots are traditionally chewed for their moisture, with the fibre spat out. The roots serve as a famine food.

Traditional Uses

The roots are chewed for their moisture and the fibre spat out. The thick young roots or tubers are dug out and peeled and chewed. CAUTION: There are reports that the roots are poisonous. The fruit are eaten.

Medicinal Uses

Cussonia spicata is harvested locally for its wood, roots, and leaves to be used as food, medicine, and timber. The wood is light and perishable but is used to construct beehives, wooden bicycle wheels, doors, mole traps, tool handles, and utensils. The succulent roots are edible and have been used as a traditional malaria treatment. The leaves are harvested for fodder and are used in traditional medicine for treating indigestion. It is used both locally and internationally as an ornamental plant. In English it is commonly known as the cabbage tree, spiky cabbage tree, common cabbage tree, or elephant's toothbrush. Common names in other languages include:

Known Hazards

There are reports that the roots are poisonous.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to E and S Africa. It grows on mountain slopes and dry lowveld. It loses its leaves with heavy frost. In Malawi it grows between 1,250-2,450 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Where It Grows

Africa, Australia, Botswana, Central Africa, Comoros, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from fresh seed. It can also be grown from cuttings.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. After washing the thin layer of pulp off the seed, it should be sown immediately into seed trays in a fine seedling germination mixture and covered lightly. Seed may take from three to eight weeks to germinate. Seedlings are best left in the tray for the first year and transplanted into individual containers at the beginning of the second growing season. They can be ready to plant out into their permanent positions 2 years later.Cuttings

Other Uses

Wood is white and soft and is used for making temporary stools and doors, water troughs, beehives and wheels for wheelbarrows. The tree is used for boundary marking and to provide shade.

Production

Trees are fast growing.

Other Information

The roots are a famine food.

Notes

There are 20 Cussonia species. They occur in South Africa.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Chamdimbo, Chandimbo, Elephant's tooth brush, Enfenge, Intsenge, Kiepersol, Lerole, Lowveld cabbage tree, Maneneh, Mnyonzi, Mosetshe, Mporori, Mubwabwa, Mufenje, Musengele, Musheme, Mushondya, Mussenga, Mutanana, Mwenyiere, Oldimaroi, Olurur, Sokwet, Umsenge, Umsenge, Umtsentse, Wacomo

References (29)

• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 138
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 308
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 447
• Dharani, N., 2002, Field Guide to common Trees & Shrubs of East Africa. Struik. p 82
• Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 247

More from Araliaceae

Eleutherococcus sieboldianus

Hedging Eleutherococcus, Fiveleaf aralia

Eleutherococcus spinosus

Eleutherococcus trifoliatus

Pak-pam

Gamblea innovans

Taka-no-tsume

Hedera helix

Heteropanax fragrans

Fragrant aralia