Red milkwood, Silvery milkwood
Manilkara discolor

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

Manilkara discolor, otherwise known as Red Milkweed or Silvery Milkwood, is an evergreen tree with a dense and round canopy and has many branches. It is grown in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. It grows about 3 - 40 m in height. The trunk is smooth, light-colored, and straight. The leaves are large, oblong, and green with silvery hairs underneath. The flowers form into groups in leaf axils. The fruit has juicy and fleshy pulp that is delicious. It is yellow to red and round. The seed is flat, oval, and pale. The plant yields white latex. The wood is hard and used for fuel, or poles, tool handles, carvings, and spoons.

Manilkara discolor is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 20

Where it is found

Lowland and upland dry evergreen forest and well-drained sites in upland rainforest, at elevations from sea level to 2,100 metres.

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; South Africa; Tanzania, United Republic of; Zimbabwe, Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw. The juicy, fleshy pulp is very tasty. Eaten as a snack, especially by children and travellers, the seeds are discarded. The yellow to red, fleshy, oval berries are up to 13mm in diameter, enclosing an oval flattened pale-coloured seed.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

Agroforestry Uses: The tree is good for shade. Other Uses The plant exudes a white latex. The wood is hard. It is used for poles, tool handles, carvings and spoons. The wood is used for fuel.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Latex: A source of rubber.

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.

How it is grown

Prefers a well-drained soil.

Propagating it: Seed -

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Red milkwood, Silvery milkwood, Forest milkberry, Inheua, Manematfole, Masematfole, Mgama, Mgamba, Mghambo, Mkwichimbo, Muapo, Muraita, Nheu:a, Nhuebe, Nueve, Tineve, Tinguele, Umnweba, forest milkberry, bosmelkbessie.

Synonyms

Eichleria discolor (Sond.) M.M.Hartog Labourdonnaisia discolor Sond. Labourdonnaisia sericea Benth.