Dichrostachys cinerea
Water Needs
low; water wise; drought-hardy
Tree small
Sickle Bush; Kalahari Christmas Tree; Sekelbos
up to 7 m
Size
Light Conditions
sun; semi-shade
Frost
hardy
Flowers
pink and yellow; September to February; spring summer
Garden Situation
sun; semi-shade; afternoon sun; security; rockery gravel; windy exposed; grassland; small area trees; sandy soils; clay soils; shrubbery; bonsai; wildlife bees birds butterflies insects butterfly host
Habitat
bushveld savanna; Coastal Eastern Cape; Coastal KZN; urban streets; rocky places; grassland; woodland forest
Region
Subtropical East Coast; Thicket; bushveld savanna; Highveld; Karoo
Rain Season
summer
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Description
A small, spiny tree up to 7 m high. Very rough bark, unusual pink and yellow flowers, and coiling seed pods that make excellent Christmas decorations. Flowers from September to February. Often seed pods at the same time. Nitrogen-fixing plant that can form impenetrable thickets with non-aggressive root system. Handles moderate frost but protect when young. Drought hardy. Enjoys a range of habitats and is common in warm, dry savannas. Butterfly host. Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West
