Gardenia volkensii - Katjiepiring, Transvaal Gardenia Trees

The Transval Gardenia tree is semi-deciduous, a member of the Gardenia family. Grows up to 8 m tall. The wood is white, fine grained and hard. Note the lower branches browsed by Kudu and Impala.

Habitat: Grows almost anywhere with well drained soils. From Natal in the south to Angola in the north.

Uses: Leaves are browsed by Elephant, Eland, Giraffe, Impala, Kudu, Nyala, and Dassies. Vervet Monkeys , Baboons ,Kudu and Elephant eat the fruit. The wood is used for small carvings and household items.

Medicinal uses: Ashes from burnt roots are applied to the chest for pneumonia. A decoction is taken orally for epilepsy. An infusion dripped into the eyes, or a cold compress treats headache. An infusion dripped into the ear treats earache.