A very variable species that has, in the past, been treated as a number of distinct species[].

Common Name:

General Information

Dombeya kirkii is a much-branched, deciduous shrub usually growing 1 - 5 metres tall, sometimes becoming a small tree growing up to 15 metres tall[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern Africa - Ethiopia, eastern Zaire, Uganda and Kenya, south to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Habitat

Woodland and bushland, on limestone ridges and rocky slopes; riverine thickets; dry deciduous forest on deep sandy alluvium fringing a seasonal watercourse; forest regrowth; at elevations from 90 - 2,100 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

In cultivation, species in this genus generally grow best in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[].
Plants can commence flowering when just 2 - 3 metres tall[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is drunk as a treatment against yaws and abdominal pain[, ].

Other Uses

The bark is made into cordage[].

The branches are used in construction and for making bows and arrows, spear shafts and tool handles[, , ].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed is very small but can be extracted from fully ripened, dry flower heads. Its viability declines within 3 months, so fresh seed has to be used for sowing. Seed is to be sown in properly drained seedbeds. Seedlings emerge in about 3 weeks[].
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood, preferably with some bottom heat to encourage rooting[].

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