Marula
Sclerocarya birrea
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SAplants,SAplants,JMK,Rotational,JMK,JMK,Ton Rulkens (www.flickr.com) from Mozambique,Ton Rulkens (www.flickr.com) from Mozambique,Omar hoftun,SAplants,Omar hoftun,JMK
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Anacardiaceae
- Genus:
- Sclerocarya
- Species:
- Sclerocarya birrea
- USDA Symbol:
- SCBI3
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 1800 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- sep,oct,nov,dec
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, red
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, mammals, elephants
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the base after fire damage; thick bark provides some fire protection in mature trees.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Thrives in arid and semi-arid regions.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Hard seed coat requires scarification (mechanical or acid treatment). Fresh seeds germinate more readily than stored seeds.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI