Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Marula (Sclerocarya birrea)

A dear friend has shared her Marula seeds that she ordered from South Africa. They have to sit in damp peat moss for 2 weeks to allow the plugs to soften and be removed and thereafter the seed planted again in the peat moss. Some time down the line, ha ha, it will grow into this...


The distribution of this species throughout Africa has followed the Bantu in their migrations as it's been important in their diet. The leaves are chewed to aid indigestion and heartburn; the bark used to treat malaria and inner bark used to alleviate the pain of scorpion stings and snake bites.


Here are the fruits, which are commonly eaten fresh or used to prepare juice, jelly or an alcoholic drink.

I know very little about the tree apart from what I gleaned from Wikipedia, so would like to hear from anyone who's been successful in propagating from seed and how big the tree has grown.

8 comments:

Barbee' said...

I hope it works for you, because that is a beautiful tree in the photo!

Jan said...

Now that's what you call a long term project, but the eventual result is a beautiful tree!

Celeste Maia said...

Marula, it bring back memories. I was born and grew up in Mozambique, and remember the marula tree. What kind o climate does it need to grow in? This is such a great project, I really hope it works. To plant a tree, but such a special tree. Please do a kind of diary of each step and share with us.
Chatwin's In Patagonia, yes, the Welsh population, serving tea and cakes and living in little cottages as if they are back in their home Wales. It is sad, and wonderful. They are still there, or rather, their very diluted descendants.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Interesting but completely unknown to me. The medicinal bits are very interesting. Hopefully it grows for you.

Jan said...

Thanks very much for the grape recipe, I shall have a go with it. I think three pints of wine will be a bit too much for the few grapes we've got though so I'll adjust it, but thanks for going to the trouble of digging it out.

Heckety said...

Oh how lovely for you! Marula trees grew all along the Naivasha Road in the Rift Valley- that takes me back some years! Great shade trees too for when you have punctures or break down!

Nick said...

If you have any extra seeds or pods, I would absolutely love some. I've been looking for this for a while. I'd be happy to send you postage or some of the neat seeds I have here in Florida. vnickdd@hotmail.com.This is a great tree.

LadyLuz said...

Hola Nick

Have sent you an email.