Buffalo Thorn Tree Seeds ~ Ziziphus mucronata ssp. mucronata Seeds - Indigenous Evergreen

It is said that Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-'n-bietjie tree represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag, indicating that life is not always straightforward. Two thorns at the nodes are also significant; one facing backward represents where we come from and one facing forward, represents where we are going.

The Buffalo Thorn is a small to medium sized tree, reaching a height of about 10m (4"). It can survive in a variety of soil types, occurring in many habitats, mostly open woodlands, often on soils deposited by rivers, and grows frequently on termite mounds. The bark is a red-brown (on young stems) or roughly mottled grey which is cracked in small rectangular blocks revealing a stringy red underbark.

Many farmers use the buffalo thorn as a natural fence, it is also becoming more popular for this reason in schools and domestic homes. The leaves are edible, and can be cooked into tasty spinach; the fruit are also very nutritional, though not very tasty. During the Anglo-Boer war the stones were roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee. A beer can be made from the fruit.

The Buffalo Thorn also has medicinal properties, an extract of the roots is given as a painkiller and a solution of the bark and leaves in water is used for chest complaints.

The leaves can be used as an aphrodisiac, either by being chewed or used in dishes.

The bid amount is for 1 Seed