Sclerocarya birrea


Marula02.jpg


Plant Characteristics
Habit   tree

Height: 30 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 30.
Width: 20 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 20.
Lifespan: perennial
Bloom: early spring, mid spring, late spring, early winter, mid winter, late winter
Cultivation
Exposure: sun
Features: deciduous, edible
USDA Zones: 10 to 12
Scientific Names

Anacardiaceae >

Sclerocarya >

birrea >


The Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) is a medium-sized dioecious tree, indigenous to Southern and West Africa. The tree is a single stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown. It is characterised by a grey mottled bark. The tree grows up to 18m tall mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands. The fruits are used in the liqueur Amarula.

When ripe, the fruits have a light yellow skin, with white flesh, rich in vitamin C - about 8 times the amount found in an orange - are succulent, tart with a strong and distinctive flavour.[1] Inside is a walnut-sized, thick-walled stone. These stones, when dry, expose the seeds by shedding 2 (sometimes 3) small circular plugs at one end. The seeds have a delicate nutty flavour and are much sought after, especially by small rodents who know to gnaw exactly where the plugs are located.

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