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Species

Species

Jasminum Fluminense

Family: Oleaceae
KSW: Muasmini

Self seeded
Sun / partially shaded. Trailing / climbing shrub with sweetly scented flowers. Black fruit. Flowers attract birds & birds eat seed.

Easily self seeds and therefore can be invasive and will damage young trees, however Jasmin provides an attractive hedge that can be pruned.

Larvae host plant to moths – Daphnis nerii
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Ficus Bussei

Family: Moraceae
GIR: Mugandi

A fine fig growing to 25 m along the coastal strip. Trunk fluted at base, bark grey. Often has aerial roots. Fruit green with whitish warts, attracting birds, bats and monkeys. Reasonably fast-growing.

Larval food to:

  • Cyrestis camillus, -the African map butterfly
  • Myrina silenus – common fig blue

Available -Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery
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Hibiscus Schizopetalus

Family: Malvaceae

Commonly cultivated shrub up to 3M tall. Easily grown from cuttings. Full sun, partial shade. Orange ‘frilly’ flowers. Flowers throughout the year.
Popular with sunbirds.

Available at coastal nurseries

Larval host plant to:

  • Spialia diomus – Grizzled Skipper
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Adansonia Digitata

Family: Malvaceae
ENG: Baobab
KWS: Mbuyu
GIR: Muuyu

Tree 5m – 25m
This is the finest tree on the coast and a mythical tree throughout Africa. My tree is very slow growing (about 2m after 14 years), but I have seen some trees grow to 3m after a couple of years. I am fortunate to look onto Kivukoni Schools mature baobab.

Leaves and pulp are eaten. The seeds are used for oil, the bark for rope and fabric, the pods for ornaments and lamp shades. The tree has its own eco-system and is attractive to insects and birds. The flower nectar is drunk by fruit bats and bush babies (who also pollinate the tree).

Available – local nurseries
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