Common Name:

General Information

Ilex mitis is an evergreen tree with a straight, rounded canopy; it can range in size from 10 - 40 metres tall, though it is most likely to be 25 metres or less. The straight bole can be quite short, and can be up to 60cm in diameter[, , ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for food and medicinal purposes, and its high quality wood is used locally. The bright red fruits and glossy leaves make this tree a great candidate for ornamental purposes[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - widespread throughout tropical Africa, extending south to S. Africa.

Habitat

Montane forest, usually by streams[]. Banks of rivers and streams and moist spots in woods and forests[]. Found at elevations from sea level to high mountains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in tropical and subtropical climates at elevations from sea level to 3,500 metres. It grows in areas where temperatures can range from -3°c up to a maximum of 34°c, and the mean annual rainfall is within the range 740 - 1,500mm[].
Grows best in a fertile, moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic[].
A fairly fast-growing tree, 80cm a year height increase being possible[].
The tree responds well to pruning, lopping and pollarding[].
The white flowers are sweet-scented[]. Honey from the tree is white and is very highly-rated in Kenya[, ].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The small fruits are sometimes eaten[]. The globose, yellow-green drupe is 4 -7mm in diameter[].

The Masai in Kenya are reported to eat the bark and roots boiled up into a broth[] - though this is likely to be for medicinal purposes rather than for food[].

Medicinal

The bark is chewed for its purgative action[, ]. A decoction of the bark is used to cure constipation[], and is taken in the form of an enema to treat colic in children[].
A powder made from dried bark is inhaled to cure colds and wounds[].
A preparation of the pounded bark and leaves is used to wash influenza patients[].

Agroforestry Uses:

There is a belief that the presence of this tree is an indication of underground water near the surface[].

Other Uses

When the leaves are rubbed together in water they give a lather, and this is sometimes used for washing the body, cleaning buckets etc[].

The whitish to grey-green wood is often attractively marked. It is close-grained, moderately hard, moderately heavy, and easily worked. It is said to 'blue' readily[]. The wood is used for many purposes, including furniture, grain mortars, pestles, brake-blocks, railway-sleepers, building construction and the spokes of wheels[, , , ]. Although used as timber, normally the trunk is too short to obtain long boards[].
The wood is burnt as a poor firewood when better fuels are not available[].

Propagation

Seed - fresh seed grows easily. Seed collected from the tree, or those fallen below the tree should be allowed to dry. They should then be sown into a tray. Seed should be covered lightly with the soil mix and then kept damp. Although germination can be erratic, seeds usually begin to germinate 8 - 20 days after sowing[].

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