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Heteropyxis natalensis

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Water Needs

low; moderate; drought hardy

Heteropyxis natalensis
Tree medium
Lavender Tree

6 m

Size

Light Conditions

sun; semi-shade;

Frost

moderate

Flowers

cream December to March; summer autumn

Garden Situation

sun; semi-sun; feature tree; wildlife insects; narrow spaces;

Habitat

woodland forest; grassland

Region

highveld; bushveld savanna; subtropical east coast

Rain Season

summer

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Description

The semi-deciduous Lavender Tree is a slender, upright species that usually grows up to 6 m in a garden. With its grey bark and shimmering green leaves, this is one of the prettiest of our local trees. Autumn leaves turn yellow and a bright orange before falling, more marked in dry, cooler regions. Fragrant pale yellow to cream flowers cover the tips of the branches from December to March, attracting a variety of insects – bees, beetles, butterflies. These in turn bring in the insectivorous birds – flycatchers, Blackheaded Oriole and Sombre Bulbul.

Heteropyxis natalensis
Heteropyxis natalensis
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