Lavendar Croton
Croton gratissimus

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 6 m tall. It has a pleasant scent. Young stems are hairy. There are scaly hairs underneath the leaves. The leaf blade is dark above and white underneath. Leaves are 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. Male and female flowers are separate on the same plant. There are a few female flowers and more male flowers. The fruit are 7 mm across. They are capsules with 3 lobes. They are covered with scales. They are green and turn yellow.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on the edge of the forest and in the savannah in West Africa. It grows on dry rocky hillsides. It grows between 5-1,950 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It has scales on the leaves that helps it conserve moisture.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. They are also used in sauces and for flavouring. The leaves are eaten as a green vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, spice

How it is grown

Fruit ripen over 3 months.

Its other names

Local names

Campanda, Cangomi, Gunukira, Laventelbos, Mubangwa, Mufandemengwe, Mufarata, Mwulukwa, Umbuluku

Synonyms

Croton microbotrys Pax.; Croton zambesicus Mull. Arg.; Croton antunesii Pax; Croton welwitschianus Mull. Arg.; Croton amabilis Mull. Arg.;