Botanical name

Dais cotinifolia (SA 521)

Other names

Pompon tree; Kannabas (Afrikaans); inTozane-emnyama (Zulu)

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Dimensions

Small tree or shrub

Description of stem

Smooth, brown to grey; pale corky streaks on the bark

Description of leaves

Simple, opposite, sometimes scattered or clustered at the end of branchlets, dark green, ovate to obovate; apex tapering, margin entire; young leaves lighter

Description of flowers

Pink dense spherical heads of tubular flowers appearing from November to February, conspicuous spreading over the tree's foliage

Description of seed/fruit

A small brown or blackish nut at the base of the residual flower

Description of roots

 

Variation

Flowers sometimes pinkish mauve

Propagation and cultivation

Grows readily from fresh seed sown in a suitable seedling mix; also grown from cuttings; grows quickly, needs a fair amount of watering

Tolerances

Not drought resistant; withstands mild frost

Uses

Cultivated for producing bark used in making ropes; a popular garden and urban pavement subject

Ecological rarity

Common

Pests and diseases

 

Other

Cultivated in Europe since 1764 (Coates Palgrave, 2002)

Location

Forest margins or near rivers, wooded mountain slopes with good rainfall

Distribution

Mpumalanga, Limpopo; Kwazulu-Natal, Free State; Eastern Cape

Country

South Africa