Lowveld chestnut for large, warm gardens Sterculia murex

he lowveld chestnut is an impressive, upright tree 6 – 12m tall (rarely up to 18m), with a spread of 4 – 5m and rough, greyish, vertically fissured bark. It, family ). This beautiful member of the family () occurs naturally in open bushveld vegetation in Mpumalanga and Eswatini, and is more or less deciduous, losing most or all of its leaves in winter. Flowering takes place from late winter to late spring (July to October) and the striking new leaves, which are initially bronzemaroon, appear simultaneously, or just after the flowers. The fruits, which appear from late spring to mid-summer (October to January) are covered with blunt spines and contain large, oily, edible brownish seeds. They have a sweet flavour and are best grilled or roasted over coals.