Cordia africana

Cordia africana (C. abyssinica)

Origin: Indigenous

The Cordia africana, characterized by its branching pattern and crooked trunk, is a deciduous tree reaching heights of 4-15 meters. Its bark, initially pale brown, becomes rough and finely grooved with age.

Featuring large oval leaves up to 16 cm in length, with prominent veins beneath, the tree’s young shoots, leaf stalks, and leaf undersides are covered in soft brown hairs, while the upper surface may feel slightly sandpapery.

Its flowers are showy, funnel-shaped, with thin white petals, emitting a sweet scent that attracts bees. The calyx cup is hairy, brown, and strongly ribbed. The tree produces yellow-orange fruits, around 1 cm in size, enclosed in hairy calyx cups, with sticky, edible pulp containing single stones, each housing 4-6 seeds.

Uses: firewood, timber, furniture, beehives, utensils (mortars), edible fruit, and medicinal applications (bark, roots). It also serves as fodder during the dry season, bee forage, provides shade, and contributes to soil conservation. Additionally, it offers ornamental value, mulch, fibres, glue, and boundary marking.

Notes: Its heartwood is prized for its hardness and polish, making it ideal for furniture, although it can be challenging to work with due to twisting tendencies. It’s commonly found in croplands, where management practices aim to minimize shading. The tree’s leaves provide excellent mulch, adding to its overall value and utility.