Large, spreading, semi-deciduous tree (up to 20 m), with grey, smooth bark and a dense, rounded crown. Large, pinnate leaves. Showy, maroon, bat-pollinated flowers hang on long, rope-like stalks. Huge sausage-shaped fruits (up to 1 m, 10 kg) persist for months. Iconic tree for riverine and savanna habitats, shade, and wildlife value.
Insects:Flowers attract bees and beetles.Wildlife:Flowers pollinated by bats; fruits eaten by elephants, baboons, monkeys, bush pigs, porcupines, and birds.Soil:Not a nitrogen fixer.Ecosystem Services:Shade, riverbank stabilization, supports large mammals and pollinators.
Large, maroon, bat-pollinated flowers; sausage-shaped fruits eaten by mammals and birds; seeds dispersed by animals and water.
Birds feed on nectar and insects in flowers; some eat fruit pulp.
Remove seeds from ripe fruit, soak, sow in warm, moist medium; germinates in 2 – 4 weeks.
Hardwood cuttings in spring.
Bark, fruit, and roots used for skin conditions, wounds, digestive issues, fertility, and as a cosmetic.
