The name Leucosidea means appearing almost white in Greek while sericea means silky in Latin. The oldwood common name is obtained from the slow burning and excessive smoke coming from burning the wood, similar to what is commonly expected when burning any old rotting wood. 

Leucosidea sericea makes a good garden subject in those parts where conditions are compatible with its growth requirements. If you are the first to introduce a given plant into your region, you may become famous if the idea spreads, notorious if the plant invades, or disappointed if it dies.

Positive features of this tree include the good looks of stems that develop interesting shapes, manageable sizes, attractive, aromatic leaves, fast growth and frost resistance. L. sericea may invade under certain conditions where veld is poorly managed (Schmidt, et al, 2002; www.plantzafrica.com).