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Photo: Mehdi.sq · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source ↗
Transvaal mustard tree
Transvaalse mosterdboom · Salvadora australis
A grey-leaved shrubby tree of the dry northern flats, with a peppery mustard taste to the leaves. Its drooping habit and pale narrow leaves help you pick it out on the alluvial plains.
Log your Transvaal mustard tree sighting — free →How to identify it
A much-branched shrub or small tree with drooping branches and narrow, greyish-green, slightly fleshy leaves in opposite pairs. Often found on brackish alluvial flats and on termite mounds.
Flowers & fruit
Small greenish-yellow flowers from about May to November, with tiny purplish fruits.
Browsed by
Leaves are browsed by elephant, kudu and giraffe, and the small fruits are eaten by birds.
Where to see it in Kruger
Dry brackish alluvial soils, riverbanks and flood plains, mainly in the far northern parts of the park; often on termite mounds.
Did you know
The leaves and seeds have a sharp mustard or peppery taste, which is where the mustard tree name comes from, and it often takes root on termite mounds.
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