MyKrugerHoliday
Buffalo Thorn
Blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie · Ziziphus mucronata
Its paired thorns — one pointing forward, one back — make it hard to get free once snagged, hence the Afrikaans 'wag-'n-bietjie' (wait a bit). Widespread across the park.
Log your Buffalo Thorn sighting — free →How to identify it
Twigs grow in a distinctive zig-zag, with paired thorns at each node — one hooked backward, one straight forward. Shiny bright-green leaves with three veins running from the base.
Flowers & fruit
Summer (October to April)
Browsed by
Leaves browsed by giraffe, kudu, impala and nyala; the fruit is eaten by antelope, birds and monkeys.
Where to see it in Kruger
Widespread throughout the park in mixed woodland, along riverbanks, on alluvial soils and often on termite mounds.
Did you know
The Zulu name umLahlankosi means 'that which buries the chief' — branches were traditionally used to mark graves and to symbolically carry a person's spirit home.
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