Terminalia sambesiaca

Terminalia sambesiaca is a large evergreen tree. It belongs to the Combretaceae family. Its native range starts in southeast Kenya. It reaches into southern tropical Africa. It grows in Tanzania and northern Zambia. Its range also covers Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. It lives in rainforest and dry evergreen forest. It grows in woods along rivers, too. Other sites include savannah woodland and rocky hills. It grows from sea level to 2,790 feet [850 metres].

The tree has a dense crown. Its branches grow in flat tiers. Reference lists give a height of 105 feet [32 metres]. Full accounts report heights of 131 feet [40 metres]. The trunk tends to be straight and round in cross-section. It can reach about 3 feet [0.9 metres] across. Some trunks have no branches for 59 feet [18 metres]. Small buttresses, or flared supports, often brace the trunk base. Old trees may have bottle-shaped buttresses. These may reach 13 feet [4 metres] high.

The flowers have a strong smell that people dislike. Flies likely carry pollen between them, but this is uncertain. The sources give no bloom season. They give no full account of the fruit. They say the tree grows fast. Yet gaps remain in how to grow it. They list seed as a way to raise new trees. Little is known about growing it in timber plantations.

PFAF lists full sun and soil that drains well. The tree accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. It tolerates mildly acid soil and neutral soil. Mildly alkaline soil suits it, too. The soil may be dry or moist. PFAF places it in USDA zones 10–12. Its large crown and tall trunk shape its landscape form. The sources give no separate mature size for garden trees. They give only general height records.

People use the wood for buildings, floors, and furniture. They also make tool handles, poles, and boats. Other uses include veneer, plywood, fuel, and charcoal. The yellow heartwood turns brown after cutting. Pale sapwood makes a clear band around it. The grain interlocks; the texture is fine and even. The wood has medium weight and lasts moderately well. Termites can attack it. Drying may cause cracks on the surface and some warping.

Traditional healers use the leaves, bark, and roots. They treat stomach pain, fever, colds, diarrhoea, and ulcers. In lab tests, extracts acted against bacteria and fungi. Root extracts also harmed some human cancer cell lines in tests. These results do not prove safe or effective medical use. The sources list no known food uses or hazards. The lack of reports of harm does not prove safety.