Botanical name

Halleria lucida (SA No 670)

Other names

Tree fuchsia; notsung (Afrikaans)

Family

Scrophulariaceae

Dimensions

Small tree or shrub, sometimes deciduous

Description of stem

Often many-stemmed, bark light brown, rough, longitudinally fissured and flaking

Description of leaves

Simple, opposite, ovate, upper surface shiny and leathery; often drooping with the apex attenuating; margin sometimes entire, but mostly scalluped or serrated; petiole often reddish

Description of flowers

Tubular curved yellow, orange to red flowers of 3-4cm grow from stems and smaller branches, often from axillary clusters; usually occrring from June to March

Desciption of seed/fruit

Round, from green to red to purplish black when ripe, diameter 1cm from June

Description of roots

 

Variation

 

Propagation and cultivation

Easily grown from seed or truncheons

Tolerances

Hardy

Uses

Edible fruit, popular for gardens, attracts birds, especially sunbirds to the copious nectar supply

Ecological rarity

Common

Pests and diseases

 

Other

In the Cape Colony the independent farmers were allowed to use the wood of some trees, including this one, whilst the felling of some valuable or rare trees species was prohibited unless by the State; the name notsung, in German Nutzung (usage) relates to this

Location

Kloofs, stream banks, bushy areas; widespread in coastal summer and winter rainfall areas

Distribution (SA provinces)

Western Cape; Eastern Cape; Kwazulu-Natal; Free State; Mpumalanga; Gauteng; Limpopo; North West

Country

South Africa; Mozambique; Zimbabwe; Lesotho; Swaziland; Zambia and further northwards in Sub-Saharan Africa