Searsia lucida flowers.  Description, History & Interesting Facts:

(Searsia lucida was previously known as Rhus lucida)

This small indigenous tree or shrub is a decorative garden subject. It has a wide distribution extending from Saldanha Bay in the West, around the Cape and all the way up the East Coast; including the whole of Kwazulu-Natal, almost to Mozambique. Its distribution also includes the Lowveld areas of Mpumalanga, extending into Limpopo Province.

It grows from sea level to 2000 metres and can be found in grasslands, bushveld, on rocky ridges and slopes (particularly granite) and along forest margins. 

It naturally has a low branching habit and somewhat drooping branches; usually growing between 2 to 3.5m tall. The eventual height and spread will vary according to climatic region and rainfall. The very glossy, dark olive-green leaves are divided in three (trifoliate); and the sprays of pale creamy -white flowers appear from mid winter to summer. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, and only the female plants bear fruit.

Searsia luicidaUses:

The green fruit ripens to shiny-brown and is relished by birds and used to brew beer. The red-brown heartwood is tough, hard and durable, the bark is greyish-brown and the young branchlets are reddish-brown. In the past the wood was used for fence posts and the bark was used for tanning. Various parts of this plant are used in traditional medicine.

In the Garden:

The glossy currant makes an excellent coastal hedge or screen and can be planted as a pioneer species, to provide shade and shelter for slower growing trees like Milkwoods.

Cultivation:

The glossy currant grows well in the warm, frost-free regions of the country. It is semi-deciduous and the leaves turn orange-yellow before falling.

Plant it in full sun with added compost and mulch thickly; water regularly and feed with high nitrogen fertilizer to boost growth.