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Tag: Birds

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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Malvaceae

Coastal Forest Checklist lists 30 Genera, 117 Species

I have growing:

  • Adansonia digitata
  • Cola sp
  • Grewia sp
  • Hibiscis schizopetalus
  • Thespesia danis Oliv. to follow

Volkameria Glabra

(Previously Clerodendrum Glabrum)
Family: Lamiaceae
GIR: Mkula-usiku
TSW: Mtozatoza

This is a small tree with smelly leaves and scented flowers. The flowers attract many insects, especially butterflies.

Self seeded

Possibly larval host to:

  • Precis archesia – Garden Inspector
  • Precis octavia – Gaudy Commodore
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Vachelia Robusta SSP. Usambarensis

(Previous Name Acacia Robusta)
Family: Fabaceae, Leguminosae – Mimosaceae
KWS: Mgunga
Gir: Mtsemeri/Mgunga

Self seeded. This is a small to medium, upright, deciduous thorn tree consisting of a narrow crown. Up
to 10m. Creamy pompom flowers. The strongly scented flowers attract bees and butterflies, and many other insects. The seed pods are eaten by herbivores and monkeys. Vachelia roots are nitrogen fixing making it suitable for underplanting. Larval host to many butterflies.

The roots and stem bark as medicines for chest pains, colds and coughs.

Available: Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery.

Valchellia may be host to the below butterflies (refer Valchellia Butterflies):

  • Azanus jesous – African Babul Blue
  • Eicochrysops hippocrates- White Tipped Blue
  • Chloroselas pseudozeritis -Brilliant Gem
  • Anthene amarah – Leaden Ciliate Blue
  • Anthene otacilia – Kikuyu Ciliate Blue
  • Aphnaeus zanzibarensis – East African Silver Spot
  • Charaxes zooline – Club-tailed Charaxes
  • Axiocerses punicea – Rainforest Scarlet
  • Axiocerses harpax – Common Scarlet
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Vachellia Nilotica

(Previously Acacia Nilotica)
Family: Fabaceae, Leguminosae – Mimosaceae
ENG: Gum Arabic Tree /Egyptian Acacia
KWS: Mgunga
GIR: Muoti

Tree 5 to 20M. Self seeded.
This is the ancient Egyptian tree of life and the Acacia is derived from Greek.

Flowers are visited by bees and butterflies. Bush babies eat the gum. I wake up to a cacaphony of birds sitting in the tree. The leaves are larval host to azanus species of butterly.

The roots and stem bark are uses as medicines for coughs

Available – Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery.

Valchellia may be host to the below butterflies (refer Valchellia Butterflies):

  • Azanus jesous – African Babul Blue
  • Eicochrysops hippocrates- White Tipped Blue
  • Chloroselas pseudozeritis -Brilliant Gem
  • Anthene amarah – Leaden Ciliate Blue
  • Anthene otacilia – Kikuyu Ciliate Blue
  • Aphnaeus zanzibarensis – East African Silver Spot
  • Charaxes zooline – Club-tailed Charaxes
  • Axiocerses punicea – Rainforest Scarlet
  • Axiocerses harpax – Common Scarlet
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Bauhinia Mombassae

Family: Fabaceae, Leguminosae – Caesalpiniaceae
Medium shrub /small tree

Status: endangered. Endemic to the coast. Sun or shade

The flowers are rich in pollen and nectar, attract various insects such as butterflies and bees. These insects will attract insect eating birds. This is also a host plant for many butterfly species, with the larvae feeding on the leaves.

Available from Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery

Butterflies / Moths :

  • Charaxes castor
  • Charaxes saturnus
  • Deudorix antalus
  • Eumeta cervina
  • Gonimbrasia hecate
  • Holocerina angulata
  • Imbrasia alcinoe
  • Micraphe lateritia
  • Eudasychira georgiana
  • Euproutia aggravaria
  • Achaea catella
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Maerua Angolensis

Family: Capparaceae

Shrub or tree to 10M tall.

Scented flowers attract butterflies and insect-eating birds. Larval host to many butterflies.

The tree is easily propagated by seeds. Prepare the seeds for sowing by removing the fruit pulp.

Self seeded
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Capparis Cartilaginea Decne.

Family: Capparaceae.

Self seeded. Grown from seed or cuttings. This plant is often flowering and always covered in Colotis butterflies and ants. Medicinal use in Africa and fruit is eaten. Leaves are toxic to sheep and cattle.

In other parts of Africa, Capparis is recorded as a larval food plant for Appias, Belenois, Colotis, Dixeia, Eronia, Leptosia, Nepheronia, and Pinacopteryx.

There is no evidence from the coast that this is a larval food plant, but Capparis is regularly visited by butterflies.

Monkeys eat the fruit and antelope eat the leaves
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