Sherbet Tree Seeds (Dialium schlechteri)

Sherbet Tree Seeds (Dialium schlechteri)

Price For Pack of 5 Seeds

This very attractive forest tree, with shiny leaves and mottled white bark, will appeal to every tree lover in South Africa.

Dialium schlechteri is a small to medium-sized from 5-15 m tall. It is usually multi-stemmed with a dense rounded crown. The bark is pale grey, smooth and mottled. The leaves turn yellow before dropping.

Small flowers around 10 mm long. They have a strong but unpleasant scent. Petals are absent. The inside of the calyx lobes is white; on the outside they are covered with golden brown velvety hairs.

The fruit pods are oval, thin-shelled and velvety red-brown around 25 mm long. A bright orange, dry pith surrounds the seeds. The brown fruits are usually borne in profusion from autumn onwards.

The flowers attract bees. Elephants are especially fond of the fruit.

The fruits are edible and very popular with Zulu children, as they are very tasty. According to some people, they taste exactly like sherbet. The pulp is sometimes mixed with water and milk to make a refreshing drink.