Rhodesian ironwood, Rhodesian mahogany
Colophospermum mopane

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Colophospermum mopane is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 12

Where it is found

The dominant species over great areas in hot, dry, low-lying areas; often found on alluvial soils, but also tolerating alkaline and poorly drained soils. It is found at elevations of 60 - 1,000 metres, occasionally to 1,300 metres.

Southern Africa - Gabon, Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, south to S. Africa.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Gabon, India, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Fruit - raw or cooked. Only used in times of shortage.

Medicine

Rating: 2

An extract of the bark is used as a remedy for syphilis and as an application to inflamed eyes. A deep red decoction of the bark is drunk to cure stomach pains. Stubborn wounds can be treated with the gum that is exuded from the heated wood. The leaves are used for healing wounds.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: The plant is useful in stabilizing dry, alkaline soils. It is listed as one of the tree species used in sand-dune stabilization in India. The ash is rich in calcium and potassium and is a useful fertilizer. A very shallow rooting plant, it can therefore survive on low mounds in wet areas, or under saline conditions as long as salinity in the topsoil is low. It thrives only where there is little competition from deep-rooting trees. The open crown casts little shade. In the heat of the day, in order to save water, the leaflets fold together and present the smallest surface area toward the sun, thereby reducing exposure to the leaf surface. This also prevents much shade from being cast. Other Uses: A small fibre is said to be obtainable from the bark of some trees. It is used to make twine. Tannin is obtained from the bark. The tree is the source of the resin Angola, or Congo, copal. Copal is a hard resin, obtained from various tropical trees, and mainly used in making varnish. Some trees yield no copal but ooze a clear yellow gum when the bark is incised.. The wood ash is high in lime (approximately 50%) and can be used to make whitewash. The twigs are used as toothbrushes. The dark-grey wood is hard, heavy, quite durable but difficult to work with . It is used as mine timbers, fence posts, house poles, bridge timbers, railway material, carved ornaments, parquet flooring and furniture. Due to its great durability and resistance to termites, it is widely used for construction, tool handles and other implements. The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal. Excellent firewood, burning with great heat and very little ash; it burns easily, even when green. However, the hardness makes it difficult to fell, chop or split.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

New Crop: Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

New Crop: Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

A plant of the drier, lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres, growing best below 900 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range of 26 - 36c, but can tolerate 12 - 50c. It can be killed by temperatures of -1c or lower. The plant only withstands mild frosts - heavy frosts may cause the branches to die back. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 250 - 500mm, but tolerates 150 - 900mm. Grows best in a sunny position, tolerating light shade. Succeeds in most soils of moderate to low fertility. It prefers a well-drained soil, though can tolerate some water-logging. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 5 - 8.5. Trees can commence flowering when they are 5 years old. The sticky seeds cling to the hooves of passing animals and are dispersed. They are also wind dispersed. The leaves and fruits are very glandular and smell strongly of turpentine. The tree coppices vigorously after fire, frost or felling. 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 - retains its viability for at least 3 years. The seed pods do not split open of their own accord and the seeds can germinate while still in the pod. Removing the seed from the pod does speed up germination but needs to be done carefully. They should be sown in flat seedling trays in river sand. Place the seeds on the sand surface. Keep the trays moist so that the seed can absorb water to germinate. The seedlings are initially slow growing but the growth rate speeds up once a height of about 20cm is reached. Transplanting will need to be done with care, try to avoid damaging the roots.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Butterfly tree, Canye, Cungua, Iphane, M'sanha, Massamba, Mopane, Mopani, Mophane, Mopanie, Mohlanare balsam tree, Mupane, Musharu, Mwaani, Ntsono, Sanya, Tsanya, Turpentine tree,

Synonyms

Copaiba mopane (J.Kirk ex Benth.) Kuntze Copaifera mopane J.Kirk ex Benth. Hardwickia mopane (J.Kirk ex Benth.) Breteler