Searsia crenata

Scientific name: Searsia crenata (Thunb) Moffet

Family: ANACARDIACEA

Common name: dune crowberry /duniekraaibessie

Plant Description 

Dune crowberry formerly known as Rhus crenata is a tough, evergreen and compact branched shrub that grows up to 3m tall. It is spineless, the small leaves are alternately arranged, and each leaf has three leaflets. The flowers are insignificant, white to almost cream and appear in small clusters at the tip of branches during autumn (March – April). Fruits are very small round red-brown to pale blackberries. 

Searsia was named after Paul B. Sears (1891-1990) who was head of the Yale School of Botany and crenata refers to the leaves that are toothed with scallops. 

Growing and maintenance of Searsia crenata

Searsia crenata is a vigorous shrub to plant in full sun. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil and moderate watering. It is ideal for dune stabilisation. It is drought and wind-resistant. Searsia can also be grown as a small tree. It attracts birds such as barbets, bulbuls, mousebirds and starlings in the garden. Butterflies breed on the shrub. The larvae use the leaves as food.

Dune crowberry can be propagated from cuttings or seed:

•  Cuttings should be taken in early winter or spring;
•  7cm long cuttings should be taken in cool hours of the day from the semi-ripe hardwood cuttings;
•  Remove one-third of the foliage at the base of the cutting;
•  Dip into rooting hormone (seradix 2) to stimulate root growth; 

 Plant in a well-drained rooting medium (a mixture of bark and polystyrene); and 

Cuttings should be kept moist and be placed in a warm place with enough light.

Seeds:

• Remove the fleshy outer covering of the seed.
• Sow in a mixture of course sand, bark and loam.
• Can be placed in a cold frame.

Limited stock of Searsia crenata is available at our nursery UWC Cape Flats Nursery.

 

References

Jackson, W. 1990. Origins And Meanings Of Names Of South African Plant Genera. Rondebosch: University of Cape Town.

Joffe, P. 2007. Creative gardening with indigenous plants: A South African Guide. Briza Publications, Pretoria

Manning, J. 2007, Field Guide to Fynbos, Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town

Low, A.B. 1983, Flowering Plants of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, University of Western Cape, Bellville

Benjamin, F. 2019, PlantZAfrica.com. http://pza.sanbi.org/searsia-crenata. Accessed 30/09/2020