The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 12 Autumn 2015 High res | Page 40
Indigenous trees
Cabbage trees
Cussonia arborea and Cussonia spicata,
more commonly known as Cabbage trees,
are much under-valued by gardeners,
as they are extremely decorative in the
garden and attract the birds as well.
Zimbabwe is home to these two evergreen species, with Cussonia
arborea being mostly found on the Highveld, and Cussonia
spicata being pretty much restricted to the Eastern Highlands.
They are not especially large trees, being no more than 10m in
height; however, they are fast growing trees, growing half a metre
to a metre a year. They are interesting garden trees, often used
as accent trees or focal points when planted in isolation or as a
group of no more than three together. They are ideal for a small
garden but do have aggressive roots, so don’t plant it close to
any walls. Their peculiar leaf formation also makes this tree a
highlight, and to show off their structure, they can be used in
containers while they are still young.
Cussonia spicata in Juliasdale
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By Ant Fynn
If you do decide to plant a Cussonia in your garden, make sure
when planting out, that you have a well-prepared hole, one metre
wide by one metre deep, with plenty of compost and bone meal
mixed with the soil , as they usually respond well to this.
If you happen to come across some
Cabbage tree seed, sow the seed while
fresh. They are generally easy to germinate
and may take a couple of weeks but most
importantly, make sure the saplings are
protected from the frost.
The Cussonia trees can be sensitive to frost and in the
Eastern Highlands, the Cussonia spicata can often be seen
with blackened or yellowed leaves from being frost-bitten,
but any damage is very temporary and they recover quickly.
Cussonias are sometimes prone to attack by psylla, a small
insects that causes pimple-like growths on the leaves,
causing the leaves to become distorted and unsightly.
Cussonia arborea in Chipinge