MyKrugerHoliday
False Marula
Bastermaroela · Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii
Named for how closely it resembles the true marula when it has no flowers or fruit. It often grows on rocky ground and near termite mounds in the lowveld.
Log your False Marula sighting — free →How to identify it
A small to medium deciduous tree easily mistaken for a marula when bare. Told apart by its larger, shinier leaves with fewer leaflets, a thick trunk and pale, corky grey bark.
Flowers & fruit
Spring (roughly Aug-Oct), flowering on bare branches before the leaves appear
Browsed by
Leaves eaten fresh or dry by game including kudu and other browsers; the small fleshy fruits are taken by birds and animals.
Where to see it in Kruger
Scattered through lowveld woodland on rocky or gravelly soils derived from igneous rock, often around termite mounds.
Did you know
It is so marula-like that even experienced bush-goers confuse the two; the giveaways are its bigger, glossier leaves and smaller fruit.
See it? Log it — free.
MyKrugerHoliday is a free, offline field guide and one-tap sighting log for a Kruger self-drive. No ads, no account, works with no signal.