''Searsia pendulina'', commonly known as the white karee (English) or witkaree (Afrikaans), is a hardy, very fast growing, semi-

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tree. It is native to

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

and to the Free State and

Cape Provinces The Cape Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "CPP". It includes the Sou ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. It occurs naturally along the

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...

and some of its tributaries.

Description

''Searsia pendulina'' is wind and drought resistant and has a pleasing, slightly drooping effect, somewhat similar to a

weeping willow ''Salix babylonica'' (Babylon willow or weeping willow; ) is a species of willow native to dry areas of northern China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and Siberia but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in Asia, being traded along the Silk Road to southw ...

. It can reach a height of up to 10 metres but usually only reaches 6 to 8 metres height, with a spread of about 5 metres. The species is protected in the

Northern Cape The Northern Cape ( ; ; ) is the largest and most sparsely populated Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley, South Africa, Kimberley. It includes ...

. In summer it produces sprays of inconspicuous flowers that attract insects. Male and female flowers are on separate trees and the female trees bear bunches of small, round edible fruits in late summer, mostly eaten by birds.

Uses

It is widely used in

as a pavement and garden tree, as it propagates easily, grows fast and flourishes in full sun. It is not invasive and makes an excellent shade tree. As with most trees they should not be planted very near to paving, swimming pools, pipes or walls, as their fast growth may quickly affect these. They however have a non-aggressive root system. Medium semi-deciduous tree - strong and fast growth - usually with more than one trunk. It displays a soft green colour with very fine leaves. Not suited to plant close to buildings, nor to park underneath, due to a very fine powder which can cause staining. Excellent as a tree to lure birds and insects, as well as providing beautiful shade. Wind and weather resistant, can deal with too much water as well as droughts.

Pictures

Searsia pendulina - Wit Karee.JPG, Searsia pendulina03.jpg, Searsia pendulina00.jpg,

References

* *

External links

PlantZAfrica.com

Images on iSpot
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q50869924, from2=Q2919309 pendulina Flora of the Cape Provinces Flora of the Free State Flora of Namibia Trees of South Africa Ornamental trees Drought-tolerant trees Plants described in 1804