Common Name:

General Information

Cussonia spicata is an evergreen tree usually growing up to 10 metres tall, but occasionally to 17 metres[, ]. The tree either just has a few branches near the top of a thick bole, or is unbranched with a crown of large digitate compound leaves. The roots can be large, swollen and succulent[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as food, medicine and source of wood. It is also used for boundary and grave marking, shade and as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

East Africa - southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, southeastern DR Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, S. Africa.

Habitat

Upland rainforest, upland dry evergreen forest, wooded grassland, at elevations from 1,400 - 2,600 metres in Tanzania[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A tree of moderate elevations in the subtropics and tropics of eastern Africa.

All the species in this genus have potentially destructive root systems and should therefore be kept at a distance from any structural features and underground services such as sewer pipes, water mains and electrical cables[].
Plants in this genus do not generally transplant well once they are established, so the position needs to be chosen carefully[].

Edible Uses

The thick root from young trees is dug out from the ground, peeled and then chewed like cassava in order to assuage hunger and thirst[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used to treat snakebite, malaria and constipation[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used for boundary marking and to provide shade[].

Other Uses

Wood is white and soft and is used for making temporary stools and doors, water troughs, beehives and wheels for wheelbarrows[].

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

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