''Ficus natalensis'' is a tree in the family Moraceae. It is commonly known as the natal fig in South Africa. In central and western Uganda, where it has an important cultural value, it is known as ''omutuba'' to the

Baganda The Ganda people, or Baganda (endonym: ''Baganda''; singular ''Muganda''), are a Bantu ethnic group native to Buganda, a subnational kingdom within Uganda. Traditionally composed of 52 clans (although since a 1993 survey, only 46 are officiall ...

people and ''omutoma'' to the Banyakitara peoples. In English is sometimes referred as barkcloth fig. It is commonly mistaken for its cousin the Ficus thonningii also known as ''mugumo'' to the

Agikuyu The Kikuyu (also ''Agĩkũyũ/Gĩkũyũ'') are a Bantu ethnic group native to Central Kenya. At a population of 8,148,668 as of 2019, they account for 17.13% of the total population of Kenya, making them Kenya's largest ethnic group. The te ...

. These trees are distributed from north-eastern

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...

and

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. The bark of the tree is harvested, without harming the tree, to make

barkcloth Barkcloth or bark cloth is a versatile material that was once common in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including '' Broussonetia papyrifera'', ''Artocarpus altilis'', '' Artocarpus ...

, an environmentally-friendly, renewable material. Skilled artisans incorporate this unique fabric into many modern uses, including fashion, accessories, housewares, interior design, and art. The vision is to create sustainable jobs in

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the histori ...

by creating a global demand for

. Mutuba trees can be harvested annually for up to 40 years, yielding up to 200 m² of cloth individually.

References

* Pooley, E. (1993). ''The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei''. .

External links

* natalensis Trees of Africa Flora of East Tropical Africa Flora of South Tropical Africa Flora of Southern Africa Flora of Kenya Flora of Mozambique Flora of Uganda Trees of South Africa {{Moraceae-stub