Did you know?

Did you know? Buffalo thorn tree Apr 7 2008

Buffalo thorn trees (Ziziphus mucronata) are iconic of the African bush, with their many branches twisting up to a large, spreading canopy of leaves. This is the type of tree that one would choose to photograph at sunset, with the beautiful orange shades of an African sun setting behind it.

The buffalo thorn is also known as the ‘wag-‘n-bietjie’ tree, which means ‘wait a while’, as its thorns are known to catch hold of clothes and not let go until they are patiently unhooked.

Buffalo thorns occur widely in sub-Saharan Africa, in a range of habitats from woodlands to open grasslands. Sometimes, you’ll see them growing out of termite mounds. They grow tallest when near to water.

The tree has two types of thorns – a straight one, and a hooked one. According to African folklore, these symbolise a person’s past, which looks back, and a person’s future, which looks forward.

The tree’s yellowish flowers produce nectar that attracts insects, and the reddish fruits are eaten by birds and animals. The bark, leaves and fruit also have many traditional medicinal and magical uses for people.

The story goes that when someone dies away from home, three people will go to ‘fetch’ him or her. One of these people will carry the branches of the buffalo thorn to hook and pull the deceased spirit back home. The one who carries the branches must remain silent throughout the journey. If a king dies, then sprays of these branches are placed upon his grave, hence the Zulu name for the tree, umLahlankosi, which means ‘the giving away of the king’ – the burying of the king.

Watch the Earth-Touch clip, Sunlight dapples forest glade.

Image of buffalo thorn © Earth-Touch 2008