Family: Rutaceae (Buchu & Citrus Family)
Common Names: Cape Chestnut, Wild Chestnut, Wildekastaiing
Calodendrum capense, beautiful tree from the Cape, the name says it all (kalos means beautiful, and dendron tree in Greek, capense is Latin for from the Cape), it is not only a tree of the Cape, but also a tree of Africa. It occurs along the south and east coast of southern Africa from around Swellendam in the Western Cape through the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, Gauteng, North West and Northern Province and into tropical Africa as far north as Tanzania and Ethiopia, and grows mainly in forests and kloofs (ravines / gorges), but occasionally in scrub and riverine bush, from sea-level to 2000 m. When in bloom, the whole canopy turns pink. It is a magnificent sight.
In a forest environment, this tree can reach heights of up to 20 m, but at the forest margin or in the open it is shorter, approx. 7 m, with a more spreading canopy. In general this is a handsome well-shaped tree with a single trunk and a dense rounded canopy. The trunk is smooth and an attractive mottled streaky grey, buttressed and lichen-covered in older specimens. The leaves are dark green, relatively large, simple, with untoothed undulate margins, and elliptic in shape. At the coast this tree is often evergreen, but inland it is deciduous with rich yellow autumn colours. The flowers are large and striking, faintly sweet-scented and carried in conspicuous terminal panicles during early summer (October to December). Close up, each delicate flower has five long narrow pale pink petals (4-5 cm x 0.5 cm), alternating with five petal-like staminodes (sterile stamens), also pale pink but conspicuously dotted with purplish to maroon glands. The calyx is star-shaped and persists after the flower has dropped off.
Birds do not find the nectar-filled flowers inviting, but butterflies do feed on them.
The timber is white or light yellow, fairly hard but bends well and is easily worked. The bark is used as an ingredient of skin ointments and is sold at traditional medicine markets. The Xhosa believe that the seeds have magic properties, and hunters used to tie them around their wrists when hunting to bring them skill and good luck.
Well-known shrubby relatives include the buchus Agathosma species, and the confetti bushes Coleonema species.
