Syzygium

Origin: Indigenous

Standard/Trade name: Mshiwi

The Syzygium is an indigenous forest giant with a dense canopy reaching heights of 10-15 meters, sometimes soaring up to 25 meters. Its trunk boasts a broad, fluted form, while its crown presents a rounded, substantial presence. Adorned with drooping branchlets and thick, angular stems, the Syzygium offers smooth, young bark transitioning to a rough, black texture with age, exuding a crimson sap when cut. Its leaves, initially a vibrant purple-red, mature into a dark green hue, showcasing a shiny, smooth surface on both sides and featuring a distinctive long, rounded tip atop a grooved stalk. The tree’s blossoms, white and captivating, host showy stamens within dense, branched heads spanning 10 centimeters, emitting a delightful honey-sweet fragrance that attracts a myriad of insects. It’s fruit, oval-shaped and glossy, measuring up to 3 centimeters, gleams in purple-black hues, containing single seeds and often clustering in bunches of 20-30.

Uses include firewood, charcoal, timber, poles, posts, tool handles, and edible fruit. Its bark and roots find applications in traditional medicine, while serving as bee forage, a source of tannin, and a natural dye. Remarkably, the Syzygium wood, characterized by its brown hue, robustness, and strength, proves easily workable yet prone to splitting. Notably, the bark, although valuable, has been reported to possess poisonous properties. Additionally, the smoke emitted from burning Syzygium wood can be employed to season milk containers.