Dichrostachys cinerea (100 seeds)

Dichrostachys cinerea.

Family: Fabaceae

Common names: sickle bush, Aroma, sekelbos

It is a spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 7 m high, with a rounded crown, 3 m wide. The flowers are 25 to 50 mm long, pendulous spikes that are borne in the leaf axils, singly or in bundles. The pleasant-smelling fluffy flowers are lilac in the upper half and yellow in the lower, giving rise to the descriptive name Chinese lantern tree in other countries. Its flowering season is spring. Dichrostachys cinerea makes impressive bonsai specimens.

Sowing instructions: Immerse the seeds in hot water, allow them to cool and then soak in water for 24 hours. The ideal sowing medium is coarse sand or soil that is mixed 1 part soil to 3 parts compost, to promote proper drainage. Plant the seeds to a depth equal to their diameter. Seedlings appear within 2 to 10 days.

Locality: Pretoria. Harvest: February 2024