Common name: Natal mahogany
Family: Meliaceae
Origin: South Africa
Plant description: a tall tree that stays green all year. It can grow up to 25 meters high and has separate male and female plants. It has a lot of leaves that form a thick, broad crown. The leaves are shiny and dark green on top, and the tips are round or pointed. The undersides of the leaves can be covered in a few too many hairs, and there are 11 to 18 pairs of veins that are close together. The flowers of Trichilia emetica are a creamy green colour and have a sweet smell. They bloom from August to November. The fruit is a capsule that opens up, and it is about 18 to 25 millimeters wide. The capsule has a long neck that is 5 to 10 millimeters long. Inside the fruit are black seeds surrounded by a bright red covering called an aril.
Use: Ideal for containers, a great filler piece, or as a stand-alone plant in full sun or on forest grounds. Beautiful outdoors under the tree canopy and indoor spaces like offices, glasshouses, and reception areas.
Light and position: prefers full sun to shade
Water requirement: medium water requirement (keep the soil moist always, but avoid waterlogging).
Plant care: plant in well-drained, sandy, and composted soil with a high water table. Only need to be re-potted every 18 to 24 months, and this should be done during the spring growing season. When repotting, choose a planter with good drainage that is 5 to 10 cm larger than the root ball. This will give the plant enough space to grow.
Pest and diseases: brown leaf scale, fungal attack, and the larvae of the white-barred charaxes butterfly feed on the leaves of the tree.
Propagation: To grow more Trichilia emetica trees, you can use seeds. When the seeds are ripe, remove the red covering around them by soaking them in water. Then, plant the seeds right away. You can plant them directly into small nursery bags or pots. It usually takes around 10 to 20 days for the seeds to start growing. After 6 to 8 months, you can move the young plants to a permanent spot in the ground. Another way to propagate Trichilia emetica is through cuttings. Cuttings should be taken from
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