This is a small tree of great character which grows in the eastern
parts of South Africa. It is a very versatile addition to the indigenous
The generic name (Leucosidea) is derived from the Greek
words for "white or grey appearance", while the species
name (sericea) is the Latin for "silky" in reference
to the silky hairs on the leaves of the tree.
ouhout is often a straggly shrub or a dense, small, evergreen tree,
which grows up to 7m tall to 5m wide. It is single or multi-stemmed
and branches low down. The bark is rough, reddish brown in colour
and flakes off to reveal a smooth light brown under-bark. The leaves
are alternately arranged, compound and covered with silky, silver
hairs. Each leaf possesses 3 to 4 pairs of leaflets. The veins on
the leaves are deeply sunken on the upper surface and protrude on
the lower surface. The leaves are a dark green colour above and
a lighter green colour below. The margins of the leaflets are deeply
serrated. When the leaves are crushed they have a strong herb-like
smell. The flowers are greenish-yellow in colour, star-shaped, and
grow in spikes at the ends of young shoots in spring (August to
September). The fruits are nut-like and about 3 mm in diameter (December
This tree is usually found growing in dense thickets at altitudes
above 1000 metres. It can be found growing in open grassland, along
river banks and on wooded, rocky ridges. It is usually found growing
in damp conditions, on deep, sandy or clayey and often rocky soil.
Leucosidea sericea occurs in the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, western
KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern Free State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga,
and Limpopo provinces, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
The flowers and young shoots of this plant are browsed by cattle
and goats in spring. It forms dense thickets on overgrazed, eroded
or otherwise disturbed areas and can, therefore, become a problem
plant on farm lands. The ouhout produces nectar which is probably
utilised by bees and other insects.
The wood makes good, durable fence posts in permanently wet soil
even though it is soft. Apparently in mountainous areas where the
ouhout occurs near streams it is an indication that they are suitable
for being stocked with trout. Zulu people use a paste made from
the crushed leaves of Leucosidea sericea for treating ophthalmia
(an eye ailment). The tree is used by the local people as a charm
to protect the inhabitants of homesteads. The wood of this tree
burns slowly and produces a lot of smoke like old and decaying wood.
This together with the appearance of the flaky bark has given rise
to the tree's common name of "oldwood".
Growing Leucosidea sericea
sericea is a frost resistant, evergreen tree, which makes it
an ideal species to use to protect less frost hardy plants during
winter. Because it is fast growing it can be used to establish an
evergreen canopy relatively quickly while slower growing trees can
be used around it and ultimately take its place once they have developed
sufficiently. The tree can also be used to provide shade in summer
if low branches are trimmed off. The ouhout is a dense plant that
can be used to provide a screen against noise, objectionable views
and wind. This tree can be very successfully utilised near water
sources such as rivers and dams since it enjoys living in damp areas.
It possesses a slightly weather beaten and untidy general appearance
due to its gnarled, flaking trunk and irregular form and these qualities
can be utilised well when trying to create a naturalistic, indigenous,
African style garden. Due to the concentration of silver hairs on
the leaf edges, the tree possesses a silvery sheen in the sunlight.
The ouhout is also suitable for use as a bonsai tree.
The ouhout is propagated easily and quickly from either seed or
cuttings. Seeds should be sown in a good seedling medium and kept
moist. Seedlings can often be found underneath parent plants and
may be carefully removed and placed in nursery bags with a suitable
Leucosidea sericea belongs to the family Rosaceae (the Rose
family). This is a very large and economically important family.
It is mostly found occurring naturally in the temperate regions
of the Northern Hemisphere. It comprises 120 genera with 3000 species
worldwide. This family includes some common fruit crop plants such
as the apple, peach, plum, prune, nectarine, pear, apricot, almond,
cherry, loquat, quince, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry. This
family also includes one of the most popular ornamental plants in
the world namely the Rose. Rose oil is one of the world's most valuable
oils and is used as a base for most perfumes. Rosaceae is however
a poorly represented family in southern Africa with fewer than eight
native tree species and a number of naturalised aliens.
- Coates Palgrave, K. 1983 TREES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. Struik: Cape
- Joffe, P. 1993. THE GARDENER'S GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICAN PLANTS.
1st edition, Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers Limited.
- Pooley, E. 1994. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO TREES OF NATAL, ZULULAND
& TRANSKEI. Durban: Natal Flora Publications Trust.
- Thomas, V. & Grant, R. 1998. SAPPI TREE SPOTTING HIGHVELD
AND THE DRAKENSBERG TREE AND SHRUB IDENTIFICATION MADE EASY. Johannesburg:
- Van Wyk, B. & van Wyk, P. 1997. FIELD GUIDE TO TREES OF
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 1st edition, Cape Town: Struik Publishers.
Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens