Common Name:

General Information

Vitex fischeri is a deciduous shrub or tree with a spreading crown that often hangs down nearly to the ground. It can grow from 3 - 35 metres tall[, ]. The bole is up to 180cm in diameter and can be free of branches for up to 18 metres[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit and timber, which are used locally. Both the fruit and the timber are sometimes traded in local markets[, ].
Vitex fischeri has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sudan, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Zambia.

Habitat

Forest edges, young closed forest and gaps, also savannah woodland and thicket, often on rocky sites, termite mounds, preferring sandy loam soils; at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position and a sandy, loamy soil[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. Fleshy[]. The black fruit has whitish or greenish spots, it is 10 - 25mm long[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Planted as a shade tree for crops such as coffee and yam, it is also sometimes retained in maize and cassava fields[]. It can provide a windbreak, produces a useful mulch and serves as a soil improver[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is pale grey-brown, often becoming dark stained and decorative in older trees; it is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood[]. The wood resembles teak, and often yellows after some time in service. The grain is straight or wavy; the texture coarse; the logs are often rotten in the core[]. The wood is medium-weight; assessments of its durability range from non-durable to durable. It is easy to saw and work with hand and machine tools; planes to a smooth surface, but a filler is needed for polishing and varnishing; it nails well; the gluing properties are good[]. The wood is in high demand in Kenya for making furniture, and is also popular for making tool handles and oxen yokes[]. It is suitable for light construction, flooring, joinery, interior trim, shipbuilding, vehicle bodies, toys, novelties, boxes, crates, carving, turnery, draining boards, hardboard, particle board and pulpwood[].
The wood is used as firewood and for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soaking in cold water for 24 hours improves germination rates. Sow the seed in light shade in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates are usually around 40 - 50%, with the seed sprouting in about 9 weeks. Several seedlings may germinate from each stone that has been sown since it may contain 1 - 4 seeds[].
When the fruit pulp has been removed and the stones dried in the shade, they can be stored for considerable time (at least one year) if they are kept dry and cool[].

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