Kiggelaria Africana

This is what it looks like:

Here is what it's fruit looks like:

Description

Well-shaped and reasonably robust, the low-branching, wild peach has smooth, pale grey bark that becomes rough with age. The variable leaves of this evergreen tree may resemble those of the peach. The tiny, bell-shaped flowers which bloom from August to January (spring to summer), are yellow-green, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The hard, round, knobbly, greenish yellow capsule which forms in February to July (late summer to mid-winter) splits to expose shiny black seeds, enclosed in an oily, sticky, bright orange-red coat.

Ecology

The Crowned Hornbill, Olive Woodpecker, Cape Thrush, Cape Robin, Cape White-eye, Southern Boubou and mousebirds enjoy the colourful fruits. Caterpillars of the Acraea horta butterfly (and A. igola) often strip this tree bare of foliage - one stage in a natural cycle, as the trees quickly recover and put out a nice new set of leaves. Larvae of the Battling Glider also feed on the tree. The Diederik, Redchested, Klaas's and Black Cuckoos love caterpillars, so these beautiful birds will visit the garden.

Growing the Wild Peach

Propagate it from seed or cuttings-set out young plants when 30 cm tall to prevent them from becoming pot bound. With good conditions, young plants grow fast and flower when two years old. It makes an excellent screen, forms an effective windbreak, or develops into a large and wide-spreading shade tree (11 m high x 13 m wide) with a non-aggressive root system. It has a natural tendency to branch from low down-prune away the lower branches early on if you want a tree shape.

Reasonably frost-hardy, it likes a moderate amount of water, and a place in the sun. Always add plenty of compost to the soil when planting, and apply a thick mulch layer (organic material, e.g. dried leaves) to protect the surface of the soil. This tree grows in both summer and winter rainfall areas. It tolerates temperatures ranging from about - 2°C to 36°C.