MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: JMK · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source ↗
Red bushwillow
Rooiboswilg · Combretum apiculatum
One of the most abundant trees in the southern and western Kruger, dominating the granite soils. The twisted leaf tip and four-winged fruit make it a reliable one to learn early.
Log your Red bushwillow sighting — free →How to identify it
A common, often untidy small tree whose glossy leaves end in a distinctive twisted, thread-like drip tip. Look for the pale four-winged fruit, which turns reddish-brown and hangs on in dense bunches.
Flowers & fruit
Creamy-yellow flower spikes in spring (about September to November), with winged fruit in summer and autumn.
Browsed by
Leaves are browsed by kudu, impala, giraffe and elephant.
Where to see it in Kruger
Dominant on granite and other well-drained soils across much of the southern and central park.
Did you know
It is so common on granite-derived soils that these areas are often just called 'red bushwillow veld', and eating the seeds is known to cause prolonged, stubborn hiccups.
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