Combretum imberbe aka Leadwood

Combretum imberbe is a tree in the Combretaceae family. People call it leadwood or ivory tree. It sheds its leaves and comes from eastern and southern Africa. Its range runs from Tanzania south to South Africa. It grows in open woods and grasslands with trees, often near rivers. Its home range has a dry season. It grows on sand, sites with limestone, and soil left by rivers.

Expect a garden tree around 20–33 feet [6–10 metres] tall. Its broad crown can reach 33 feet [10 metres] across. Larger wild trees reach 66 feet [20 metres]. Reports place the tallest at 98 feet [30 metres]. The trunk often bends instead of growing straight. The bark splits into flakes shaped like blocks. Young shoots bear stiff spines. The oblong leaves are simple, with no separate leaflets. They grow in pairs across from each other. They look silver-grey and bear red scales. Small yellow-green flowers grow in loose spikes.

Give leadwood full sun and soil that drains well. It can grow in sand, loam, or clay. It accepts soils from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It can also grow in salty ground. It likes moist soil but copes with drought once established. Frost can harm this tropical tree. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12. Growth is slow, even with good care. With ideal care and conditions, young trees may reach 20 feet [6 metres] in 15 years. Some dated trees have lived for more than 1,000 years.

People plant leadwood for shade and for its looks. Its dense wood lasts well. People use it for carving, furniture, fuel, and charcoal. The wood resists termites, but its hardness makes it hard to cut. The bark yields tannins. People use the lime-rich wood ash on walls and to clean teeth. Tests also found that ash helped control weevils in stored cowpeas. Heavy cutting for wood and fuel puts some local stands at risk. Trees can grow new shoots after cutting.

The tree yields edible gum that people use in sweets. People also eat the leaves as greens. PFAF lists the fruit as edible. People use roots, leaves, and bark in folk medicine. These uses include treating gut troubles, coughs, and chest pain. Such reports do not prove that these treatments work. The sources report no known hazards. That does not prove the tree is safe. Seeds can sprout within one or two weeks. Even so, raising trees from seed can be hard. Reports state that few seeds sprout, and many seedlings die.