Common Name: Cabbage Bark

General Information

Cabbage bark is a tall evergreen tree with a luxuriant, spreading canopy of large, glossy, rich green leaves and attractively scented small flowers[]. It grows up to 30 metres tall and, when in flower, attracts a host of pollinating insects[]. The bole can be straight and cylindrical, but is often not of good form. It is usually 50 - 70cm in diameter, exceptionally to 150cm, can be unbranched for up to 20 metres, and is unbuttressed[]. Another report says that the tree is often supported by buttresses that can be up to 3 metres tall[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is a valuable commercial timber and is commonly harvested from the wild and exported[]. The tree is used in soil conservation projects to protect watersheds, as a shade tree in coffee plantations and is also often grown as an ornamental and amenity shade tree in parks and large gardens[, ].

Known Hazards

The bark and the fruit are considered to be toxic[, ]. The bark and the seeds contain the alkaloids berberine and andirine (angelin)[].
It is said that if the smoke from the burning wood gets into the eyes then it can cause blindness[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Uganda; S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north through C. America to Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Cuba.

Habitat

A wide range of habitats from evergreen tropical rain forest to dry savannah vegetation. Common in riparian zones and in areas with a high water table. It is found along roadsides, riverbanks, woodlands and pastures, from sea level to 900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Native to lowland tropical areas, especially along the sides of rivers, it grows best in lowlands that are periodically inundated[, ]. It succeeds best at elevations ranging from sea level to 400 metres, though it can be found as high as 900 metres[]. It is found mainly in areas where the temperature varies from 28 to 35°c, and annual rainfall from 2,500 to 6,500 mm, though it can also succeed in drier areas of savannah vegetation[, ].
Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, succeeding on well-drained sandy soils as well as on poorly drained clay soils[]. Grows best in a fertile, moisture-retentive soil[]. Prefers a position in full sun or partial shade[]. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant[]. Plants are moderately tolerant of salt-laden winds[].
Plants can flower twice a year when growing in drier woodlands, though it flowers less often in more humid climates[]. It is an important source of nectar for bees[].
The plant has earned its common name of 'Cabbage Bark' because its bark smells like a foetid cabbage[].
In the wild, this tree offers a suitable environment for some plant epiphytes like orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

A decoction of the leaves is used as a beverage[].

The fruits are edible[]. Some caution should be employed here, the seeds are toxic[].

Medicinal

The bark is a powerful anthelmintic, narcotic, purgative and vermifuge[, , ].

The inner bark is used to treat snake bites[].

The seeds are bitter, emetic, purgative, vermifuge and have narcotic properties[, ].

The tree yields the alkaloids berberine and angelin. Constituents isolated from its bark are beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, formononetin, pseudobaptigenin, genistein, 3'-methoxydaidzein, daidzein and taxifolin[].

The bark and the seeds contain the alkaloids berberine and andirine[].
The active anthelmintic principle in the plant is the non-proteinogenic amino acid N-methyltyrosine (andirine)[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has been used in conservation programmes to restore degraded watersheds where moist conditions are prevalent[].
It is used as a shade tree in coffee plantations because it has a spreading crown and responds well to pruning[].
Plants are fairly tolerant of salt-laden winds and have a low-branching habit, making them potentially useful as part of a shelterbelt or windbreak[, ].

Other Uses

An insecticide and a piscicide are obtained from the tree[].
The seeds are burnt in a room, the smoke driving out bats from the home[].

A leaf decoction is used for washing in Africa[]. .

The heartwood is highly figured and decorative varying from yellowish-brown to dark reddish-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the narrow band of light brown to greyish-yellow sapwood. The texture is very coarse; the grain is straight to slightly irregular; lustre is raher low; there is no distinctive odour or taste. Bands of light coloured parenchyma tissue give the wood a distinctive figure. The wood is very hard, heavy, and very resistant to attack by fungi and termites. The wood air-seasons at a moderate rate with little degrade; once dry it is stable in service. It saws and works fairly well, except that it is difficult to plane to a smooth surface because of the alternating bands of hard and soft tissue; even using sharp cutting edges, a fine ridged appearance commonly results. This surface, called raised grain, is usually eliminated in the final sanding. The wood works well in the lathe, takes nails and screws well, and glues satisfactorily; however, the surface lacks lustre after planing and sanding because of the large amount of soft tissue. This soft tissue also absorbs polish more readily than the hard fibre tissue and may cause some difficulty in French polishing. However, the wood is generally reported to finish smoothly. It has been used for bridges, railroad tracks and waterfront docks and also to make poles, high grade furniture, billiard-cues, umbrella handles and boats[, , , ]. The wood has no resonance, making it particularly suitable for radio and television cabinets and other similar uses[].
Prunings from shade trees in coffee plantations are used as firewood[].

Propagation

Seed - the large, hard seeds need to be scarified before planting - making a cut on the hard fruit endocarp with a file and then planting them in seed beds or plastic bags is recommended[]. The seed does well when sown directly. Two to three seeds per station are planted directly in the field[]. Seeds start to germinate at week 5 and maximum germination is observed at week 16. Germination rate is 43% - 56%[]. One year-old plants 50 cm tall or more can be transplanted during the rainy season[].
Seedlings require low light for establishment and more light for development. In the field, little or no management is necessary[].

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