Karoo boer-bean Tree – 5 Seeds

Karoo boer-bean Tree (Schotia afra var. afra)  often occur along the banks of dry streams and small rivers in the Little Karoo, the drier areas of Eastern Cape and the southern part of Western Cape.This tree can be used as a shade and ornamental tree.

It is a small evergreen tree, with rigid branches and a gnarled trunk. It grows to a max. height of 5 m. The flowers are numerous, bright red to pink in color, and are borne in small clusters during the months of February and March. They are distributed throughout the tree. The tree is not messy and does not have a destructive root system.

The leaves are browsed by stock. The seeds are edible either green or mature. They can be used as a meal if roasted and ground. The bark, if ground and soaked in water, can be used as tannin.

Common names: Karoo boer-bean (Eng.), Karoohuilboerboon (Afr.).

Growing Karoo boer-bean Tree

• Sow the seeds in late spring, September until mid-October.
• Seeds should sown in flat seed trays filled with well-drained, loamy soil.
• Sow the seeds about 3-5mm deep.  Place the seed trays in a semi-shady area.
• Water well once a day.  The seeds will swell with moisture and should germinate within 7 days.
• The seedlings should be allowed to develop a tap root and be in their third set of leaves before they are transplanted into planting bags.
• If they are given enough water and are planted in a rich, well-drained soil, they will develop rapidly.