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Peltophorum africanum

Botanical Name

Peltophorum africanum Sonder

Common Name(s)

  • African wattle
  • blackwood
  • muzeze (Shona)
  • umsehla (Ndebele)

Synonyms

Legume Clades

Caesalpinioideae , Peltophorum Clade , Peltophorum

Native Geographic Range

  • Southern Africa

IUCN Status

LC (Least concern)
See IUCN Red List Assessment

Growth Form

tree
small tree

Cultivation Status in AZ

Rarely cultivated

Description

Evergreen trees to 33 ft (10 m) high with stems arising from near the ground and forming a rounded canopy. The bark is brownish gray and slightly rough. Leaves are bipinnate with 4--7 pairs of pinnae. Each pinna has 10--22 pairs of leaflets. Showy yellow flowers are produced in inflorescences during late spring and summer.

Habitat

Native to southern Africa where it occurs in savanna habitats.

Uses

The wood has been used for carving.

Horticulture

Not presently available from nurseries in Arizona. African wattle makes an excellent shade tree for smaller spaces. The showy flowers are produced over several months. Established plants require infrequent irrigation. This species is hardy to about 20° F (-6.5° C). Frozen plants recover rapidly the following year though dead limbs should be removed. This tree produces some leaf litter and should not be sited near pools.