Flatcrown Albizia
Albizia adianthifolia
Flora
| At a Glance | |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Seasonality | Deciduous |
| Height | It can reach to 25m in the Kloof area |
| SA Tree Number | 148 |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern but is often irreparably damaged by irresponsible medicinal herb collectors |
Description
This is a magnificent tree with a spreading flatcrown and fine leaves with leaflets.
Distribution
Its range extends from eastern South Africa to Tropical Africa.
Flower - Fruit
The flowers are striking, forming relatively large, half-spherical heads. Petals are white or greenish white and joined for at least two thirds of their length. Stamens are fused partly to form a tube and reddish pink or green at the tips. The tree flowers in spring during the months of September-November.
Pale brown, papery, bumpy, broad-bean pods hang from the tree in profusion.
Uses
Many different butterflies are attracted to the tree when in bloom. These include the Blue-spotted Charaxes, Charaxes cithaeron, and the Satyr Charaxes, Charaxes ethaleon
Blue duiker feed on the seedpods.
Local Information
One of the iconic trees of our area and found throughout Kloof.
Interesting Facts
Albizia – named after Filippo degli Albizi, an 18th century Florentine naturalist who introduced a species of this genus to European horticulture in 1749
The term adianthifolia means with leaves ‘like maidenhair fern’.
The flatcrown is one of the “pioneer species†in our area and have a limited lifespan of approximately 50years.
Pioneer plant species are the first adaptable and vigorous flora to colonize disturbed or damaged ecosystems. These plants readily acclimate to bare soil, have the ability to grow and regenerate and respond vigorously to poor site conditions.
Pioneer tree species are known for their ability to readily seed on bare soil and withstand the rigors of low moisture availability, full sunlight and high temperatures along with poor available site nutrients.