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Zanthoxylum capense seeds grow into the small knobwood or Cape knobwood a shrub or small tree native to the desert and dry shrubland biome of southern tropical and southern Africa, from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique south through Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape of South Africa a range wider than the ‘Cape region’ epithet implies. The epithet capense refers to the Cape (South Africa) where type specimens were collected. The most immediately recognisable character is the distinctive knob-like prickles arranged in vertical rows on the trunk and older branches giving the ‘knobwood’ common name. Aromatic leaves and bark are used widely in traditional medicine across southern Africa for colds, fever, toothache and respiratory infections. Family Rutaceae.

Full sun; drought-tolerant; adaptable to dry, rocky and well-drained soils in warm subtropical conditions.

• Distinctive knob-like prickles in vertical rows on trunk the ‘knobwood’ character; immediately recognisable
• Aromatic leaves and bark; widely used in southern African traditional medicine
• S. Tropical & S. Africa desert and dry shrubland biome; wider than ‘Cape region’ alone
• Bushy shrub to small tree; important wildlife habitat plant in bushveld and coastal forest
• Full sun; drought-tolerant; dry rocky soils; warm subtropical; Family Rutaceae

Zanthoxylum capense is the knobwood of southern Africa a distinctive aromatic shrub or small tree of the bushveld and coastal forest zones from Zambia to the Eastern Cape, recognised by its knobbly prickles and celebrated across its wide African range for its medicinal properties.

IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.