Pepperbark Tree
Warburgia salutaris
Family: Canellaceae
What it is like
Warburgia salutaris or commonly known in various names such as Pepperbark Tree, Fever Plant, and Pepper Root is a fairly slow-growing, evergreen tree growing about 10 m high and can usually be found in Southern Africa. It has a dense and rounded crown. The leaves are simple, olive green, and arranged alternately. The flowers are small, green, and occur in the axils of leaves. Each flower has 10 yellow-green petals. The fruits are rounded berries that are dark green in color but turn purple upon ripening. Pepperbark tree is widely used as a herbal remedy in Southern Africa. It is used in the treatment for malaria, colds, chest pains, coughs, diarrhea, muscle pains, stomach pains, general body pains, common cold, spots in the lungs, malaria, mouth sores, and clogged sinuses. The leaves are used to flavor soups and curries and as a tea. The bark contains mannitol. Pepperbark tree is also grown as a hedge plant and a shade tree in coffee, banana, and cocoa plantations. Due to the plant?s capability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, it is also used as green manure and mulch. The bark is a source of tannins and resin. The wood is oily, aromatic, and not durable. It is occasionally used for construction, furniture, tools, and for fuel and charcoal. W. salutaris is currently threatened by habitat loss.
Warburgia salutaris is an evergreen Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 8
Where it is found
Savannah woodland, coastal forest and Afromontane forest. Lower rainforests, drier highland forest areas, and in secondary bushlands and grasslands at elevations from 1,000 - 2,000 metres.
Southern Africa - Zimbabwe, Mozambique, S. Africa.
Conservation Status: Status: Endangered A1acd
Countries/locations it is found in
Mozambique; South Africa; Swaziland; Zimbabwe, Africa, East Africa, Malawi, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The leaves are used to flavour soups and curries. The leaves have a bitter, burning, aromatic taste. The leaves are used as a tea. The bark contains mannitol.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 4
Pepperbark tree is a widely used herbal remedy in southern Africa. The inner bark has many uses as a treatment for malaria, colds, chest pains, coughs, diarrhoea, muscle pains, stomach aches, and general body pains. The pepper-like, bitter stems and root bark are used to cure a wide range of ailments. They are used as an expectorant to treat the common cold. Taken orally are believed to cure spots in the lungs. Both stems and root bark are a remedy for malaria. Powdered and mixed with water, they are believed to cure sores in the mouth. Dried and ground, they are taken as a snuff to clear the sinuses.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: A suitable plant for growing as a hedge as it responds well to pruning. An attractive, dense hedge. The tree can be intercropped to provide shade in coffee, banana and cocoa plantations. The plant is nitrogen fixing and can be used for green manure and mulch. It also provides good shade. Other Uses A resin can be extracted from the bark. The bark is a source of tannins. The heartwood is dark yellowish-brown; the sapwood light yellow. The wood is oily, aromatic, and pale, darkening with exposure to the air. It saws and polishes well but is not durable. It is occasionally used for construction, furniture and tools. The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.
Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.
Green manure: Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.
Resin: Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Hedge: Hedge
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations from 1,000 - 2,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 5 - 25°c, but can tolerate 10 - 35°c. The plant cannot tolerate frosts. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 1,750mm, but tolerates 10 - 35mm. Requires a sunny position. Grows in well-drained soil, with good aeration. The soil should be rich in organic matter in the form of well-rotted compost. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant. A fairly slow-growing tree. Trees can be coppiced. The tree is aromatic, with a peppery aroma. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagating it: Seed - it has a very short viability and should be sown as soon as it is removed from the seed. Sow in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of around 80% can be expected. Cuttings
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Chibaha, Isibaha, Muranga, isibhaha, peperbasboom, pepperbark tree, pfefferrindebaum, warburgia, warburgia.
Synonyms
Chibaca salutaris G.Bertol. Warburgia breyeri R.Pott