Fever Tree – Acacia xanthopholea
Natural History
Other Names: Koorsboom (Afrikaans), mooka-kwena (Northern Sotho), umHlosinga (Zulu), nkelenga (Tsonga), and munzhelenga (Venda).
Distinctive Characteristics: The Fever Tree is a colorful, thorny, and sparsely foliated semi-deciduous tree. The characteristic pale-yellow to neon-lime-green bark is smooth and coated in a powdery substance that comes from chlorophyll, which enables it to photosynthesize even when its leaves have fallen. The tree derives its common name from the fact that malaria-carrying mosquitoes share the trees’ wet habitat, and thus it was mistakenly blamed for causing the deadly fevers associated with that disease.
Distribution: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Ecosystem: Low-lying swampy or flooded areas, near riverbanks and lakes, sometimes forming woodland stands of even-aged trees.
Maximum Age: Undocumented.
Maximum Height and Girth: 49–82 ft (15–25 m) in height; maximum girth undocumented.
Animal Community: Fever Trees are popular among birds for nest-building, because their thorns add extra protection against predators such as snakes. Parts of the tree are also edible for animals; elephants eat the young branches and leaves, and giraffes eat the leaves and seedpods. It is a favorite hangout for vervet monkeys and baboons, which eat its pods and gum. Insects such as bees are attracted by the bright color and sweet scent of the flowers, and perform an important pollination role.
Traditional Uses:
Medicine: The powder covering the bark was used as a natural sunscreen. The bark has been used for treating fevers and eye illnesses.
Threats and Conservation: The Fever Tree is not threatened.
Distinctive Characteristics: The Fever Tree is a colorful, thorny, and sparsely foliated semi-deciduous tree. The characteristic pale-yellow to neon-lime-green bark is smooth and coated in a powdery substance that comes from chlorophyll, which enables it to photosynthesize even when its leaves have fallen. The tree derives its common name from the fact that malaria-carrying mosquitoes share the trees’ wet habitat, and thus it was mistakenly blamed for causing the deadly fevers associated with that disease.
Distribution: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Ecosystem: Low-lying swampy or flooded areas, near riverbanks and lakes, sometimes forming woodland stands of even-aged trees.
Maximum Age: Undocumented.
Maximum Height and Girth: 49–82 ft (15–25 m) in height; maximum girth undocumented.
Animal Community: Fever Trees are popular among birds for nest-building, because their thorns add extra protection against predators such as snakes. Parts of the tree are also edible for animals; elephants eat the young branches and leaves, and giraffes eat the leaves and seedpods. It is a favorite hangout for vervet monkeys and baboons, which eat its pods and gum. Insects such as bees are attracted by the bright color and sweet scent of the flowers, and perform an important pollination role.
Traditional Uses:
Medicine: The powder covering the bark was used as a natural sunscreen. The bark has been used for treating fevers and eye illnesses.
Threats and Conservation: The Fever Tree is not threatened.
