| Botanical Name |
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| Family |
Fabaceae - The legume and pod-bearing family. (Pea & Bean Family) |
| Pronunciation |
bo-luh-SAN-thus spee-see-OH-sus |
| Common Name(s) |
Tree wisteria; Vanwykshout; mogaba (N. Sotho); umHolo (Zulu) |
| Plant Group |
- Tree A woody, self-supporting perennial plant usually with a single main stem and generally growing more than 6 meters tall.
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| Plant Size |
- Small to Medium
| Tree | 8m to 15m |
| Shrub | 75cm to 1m |
| Perennial/ground cover | 20cm to 40cm |
| Bulb | 30cm to 40cm |
| Succulent | 20cm to 40cm |
|
| Position |
- Sun The area is in full sun for all or most of the day, all year round.
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| General Information |
- Deciduous to Semi-deciduous In warmer areas a deciduous plant may not lose its leaves during winter at all, or may lose its leaves for a very brief period, or may only lose part of its foliage.
- Drought Tolerance: High The plant is well adapted to arid conditions; it can survive long periods of drought and high temperatures without extra water.
- Fragrant / Aromatic These plants posses a strong, usually pleasant odour.
- Frost: Half-hardy The plant is able to survive low temperatures and some frost but requires protection against severe frost.
- Roots Non-invasive Safe to plant near pools, paving, walls or buildings.
- Water Moderate These plants will need some extra watering compared to water-wise plants. Plant them together, in at least some shade and in a convenient proximity to the house so that grey water can be utilised during times of drought.
- Water Wise Plant species originating from low rainfall regions that require less water to survive and thrive than other plant species.
- Wind Tolerant Plants able to withstand the effect of strong winds.
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| Specific Information |
Bolusanthus speciosus is a multi-stemmed tree with beautifully fissured bark and drooping foliage that shivers in the slightest breeze. It can be grown in a medium to small garden, as well as in a container. It will withstand moderate frost if it is protected for the first 2 to 4 years, depending on the amount of frost it has to sustain. The specimens shown above have grown with minimal water in the Eastern Cape and are in no way as spectacular as those grown in more suitable conditions. Plant the tree where it will get protection from the worst of the wind - the flowers on my trees often get blown off before they have opened. The branch structure, bark and attractive foliage make this tree a must - the stunning flowers are an extra.
Bolusanthus speciosus is a protected tree, meaning that removal, cutting or damaging of wild specimens is prohibited. |
| Flowers |
| Description |
|
| Season |
- Spring to Summer Plants will seldom bloom for the entire season as given in the list, but should flower during a period within these parameters.
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| Colour |
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| Growth Rate |
- Moderate Specifying growth rate can be very misleading as there is considerable variation of growth rate depending on type and species of plant, available water, supplementary feeding, mulching and general care, as well as the plants suitability and adaptability to the garden environment.
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| Plant Uses |
- Accent or Focal Point A plant used to attract the attention because of its colour or form.
- Attracts bees and other insects This plant attracts insects which can be food for birds or other creatures in your garden.
- Boundary A plant useful for planting around the edges of the property to form a green or colourful backdrop, an impenetrable hedge, to hide walls or create privacy.
- Container Trees, shrubs and ornamental species that can adapt to growing in a restricted environment.
- Provides light / dappled shade A tree with an open to sparse canopy, through which varying degrees of sunlight can penetrate.
- Suitable for bonsai A shrub or tree that lends itself to being dwarfed.
- Suitable for smaller gardens Such plants do not have invasive root systems, remain small or controllable and can often be grown in containers.
- Wild Garden An indigenous garden planted for the benefit of wildlife and birds. Provides food, water, a variety of mini-biomes and no poisonous chemicals are used.
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| Ad Break |
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| Distribution |
from KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga and Northern Province, into Angola and Zambia, in wooded grasslands |
| Planting Suggestions |
Should be watered regularly and well for the first 3 or 4 years to promote sturdy and speedy growth. See this blog post for more information. |
| Medicinal Uses |
The roots are used to relieve stomach problems and abdominal cramps are treated with the inner bark. The wood is sought after for making furniture and small household articles. The wood is very hard and termite resistant and has been used for fence posts. |
| Availability |
- Unavailable The plant is currently unavailable at our nursery.
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Comments
Bolusanthus speciosios
Can you do cuttings of this tree to try to get flowering sooner?
Bolusanthus speciosus
Hello Ken
I have no experience of growing this tree from cuttings and none of my sources indicate that Bolusanthus can be grown from cuttings or truncheons. If you can get a good sized truncheon to root, then it would most probably flower sooner than if planted from seed. I have however found that some of our indigenous trees will take from a cutting, but fail to develop a strong root system, resulting in a stunted, small tree. As this tree is found naturally in more tropical areas, it may help to feed it with a top layer of good compost, add some organic fertilizer, cover the ground below with a thick layer of mulch and water it deeply two to four times a month in spring and summer, (less in winter), depending on the area in which you live.
Bolusanthus
Thanks, I was only wondering because it said that it takes 7 to 15 years to flower that will put me in my 70s can I wait that long? Lol
Tree wisteria
I'm much in the same position. All I can say is that although my parents may not have seen the fruits of their labour, I am indebted to them for their foresight in planting many indigenous, slow growing trees in their/my garden.
I researched 20-odd sites and books for data to support the flowering age of Bolusanthus and found no mention of the time taken to flower, an unusual omission of a potentially pertinent fact. The tree belongs to the pea family which normally flower from quite a young age. Hopefully yours will too.
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