Botanical Name: Nuxia floribunda
Common Name: Forest Elder

 

Use: Outdoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Indigenous
Evergreen/Deciduous : Evergreen
Plant Type : Tree
Flower Colour : Cream
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : Winter
Light : Sun
Hardiness : Frost tender
Attributes :  
Height (m) : 5 - 10
Spread (m) : 1.5 - 3
    
Notes: During winter, large sprays of fragrant, creamy flowers adorn this indigenous evergreen, which is also known as the forest nuxia or vlierbos. It’s an excellent choice if you have a suitably warm, frost-free garden. The forest elder’s pale flowers will have the effect of brightening and lightening the foliage of surrounding shrubs and trees. And even when not in flower, its glossy, light green leaves with prominent midribs form a pleasant foliage contrast. Use it as a background tree, a single specimen or for an informal screen.

 

As it is indigenous to the southern and eastern Cape coast, KwaZulu Natal coast and parts of Mpumalanga, the forest elder grows best in warm, frost-free regions. It can be grown in slightly cooler conditions, including the south-western Cape, but is not suited to gardens in cold, inland areas.

 

Plant it in a sunny position in fertile, well-composted soil, and water it well until it is established. It will need extra watering in summer in the drier regions. Prune back the lower branches of the forest elder to encourage it to grow into a good tree shape.