Bolusanthus speciosus Seeds - Tree Wisteria, Vanwykshout - Indigenous, New

Bolusanthus, belonging to the Fabaceae family, is a monotypic genus, meaning it only has one species, namely Bolusanthus speciosus, within the genus. The name Bolusanthus honours Harry Bolus, who was a South African botanist and founder of the Cape Town Bolus Herbarium; speciosus means beautiful or showy in Latin. Some of its common names include Tree Wisteria, Vanwykshout and Elephant wood.

The latter common name was given in reference to its hard timber. Originally this attractive indigenous tree was prized for its hard timber, which makes beautiful furniture, rather than its stunning flowers.

The tree wisteria is certainly one of the most spectacular of our indigenous trees when in flower, mimicking the splendour of the jacaranda, which unfortunately is proving to be an invader species in South Africa. Instead of planting the invasive jacaranda trees from Argentina rather try the indigenous Bolusanthus speciosus with it magnificent purple blooms.

The gorgeous clusters of flowers are followed by thin pods that hang in bunches. It is a fast-growing, decorative and small to medium-sized deciduous tree that also makes a very attractive bonsai subject. It is an ideal tree to grace a medium to small garden, as it never grows too big. It can be grown in a container and looks spectacular on any sunny patio. Propagation from seed is easy and straightforward.