Khaya anthotheca

Khaya anthotheca

Family: Meliaceae

Common names: Red Mahogany, Rooimahonie

It is a large evergreen tree up to 30 m with an elongated or rounded, much-branched crown; the trunk is buttressed in old specimens. The bark on the young branches is smooth and greyish brown but smooth to sometimes mottled grey and brown, flaking on the older branches and stems. Flowers appear in branched sprays at the tips of branches, are white and sweetly scented, up to 10 mm in diameter, the male and female flowers are separate but on the same tree, and the stamens join to form a tube up to 6 mm long. The flowering period is from spring to mid summer.

Sowing instructions: They grow easily from seed sown during spring. Soak the seeds in warm water to speed up germination. Plant seeds in seed trays filled with seedling soil or a mixture of river sand and sifted compost (1:1) and keep moist. Seeds germinate within 2–6 weeks. When they reach the two-leaf stage, transfer them into black nursery plastic bags.

Locality: Pietersburg. Harvest: November 2024