Wild date
Fadogia homblei

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A erect woody shrub. It grows 30-120 cm tall. There are 3-4 stems coming from a slender underground stem or rhizome. The leaves are in rings of 3-5. They are simple and 2-12 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. The flowers are in groups of 2-5. The fruit are black and 6-10 mm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in grassland and woodland. It grows between 1,050-1,800 m altitudes.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are sweet and eaten fresh. The flower nectar is sucked by children.

The ripe fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, caution, nectar

How it is grown

It can be grown by seeds or from cuttings of the rootstock.

Ripe fruit is collected from October to January.

Its other names

Local names

Kambolambola, Kindokoli, Ndhlaleni

Synonyms

Fadogia fragrans Robyns; Fadogia monticola Robyns; Fadogia oleoides Robyns;