Nuxia congesta

Invasive species Disclaimer

In view of the fact that some tree species are invasive, the world Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) has put in place a policy document on Invasive Alien Species, currently under draft available at Here.

For more information on this subject, please refer to
100 of the World's worst Invasive and Alien Species.




Species Index    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Multiple Criteria Search


Abelmoschus moschatus
Acacia aneura
Acacia angustissima
Acacia aulacocarpa
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia catechu
Acacia cincinnata
Acacia crassicarpa
Acacia elatior
Acacia erioloba
Acacia etbaica
Acacia ferruginea
Acacia glauca
Acacia holosericea
Acacia karroo*
Acacia koa
Acacia laeta
Acacia lahai
Acacia leptocarpa
Acacia leucophloea
Acacia mangium
Acacia mearnsii*
Acacia melanoxylon
Acacia mellifera
Acacia nilotica subsp nilotica
Acacia pachycarpa
Acacia pennatula
Acacia polyacantha ssp. polyacantha
Acacia saligna
Acacia senegal
Acacia seyal
Acacia sieberiana
Acacia tortilis
Acacia xanthophloea
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius
Adansonia digitata
Adenanthera pavonina
Aegle marmelos
Afzelia africana
Afzelia quanzensis
Agathis macrophylla
Agathis philippinensis
Ailanthus altissima
Ailanthus excelsa
Ailanthus triphysa
Albizia adianthifolia
Albizia amara
Albizia anthelmintica
Albizia chinensis
Albizia coriaria
Albizia ferruginea
Albizia gummifera
Albizia julibrissin
Albizia lebbeck
Albizia odoratissima
Albizia procera
Albizia saman
Albizia versicolor
Albizia zygia
Aleurites moluccana
Allanblackia floribunda
Allanblackia stuhlmannii
Allanblackia ulugurensis
Alnus acuminata
Alnus cordata
Alnus japonica
Alnus nepalensis
Alnus rubra
Alphitonia zizyphoides
Alstonia boonei
Alstonia congensis
Alstonia scholaris
Altingia excelsa
Anacardium occidentale
Andira inermis
Annona cherimola
Annona muricata
Annona reticulata
Annona senegalensis
Annona squamosa
Anogeissus latifolia
Anthocephalus cadamba
Antiaris toxicaria
Antidesma bunius
Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria cunninghamii
Arbutus unedo
Areca catechu
Arenga pinnata
Argania spinosa
Artemisia annua
Artocarpus altilis
Artocarpus camansi
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Artocarpus integer
Artocarpus lakoocha
Artocarpus mariannensis
Asimina triloba
Ateleia herbert-smithii
Aucomea klaineana
Averrhoa bilimbi
Averrhoa carambola
Azadirachta excelsa
Azadirachta indica
Azanza garckeana
Related Links
A rounded evergreen shrub or small tree. A widespread species, here growing in exposed conditions.
© Ellis RP
A shrub or medium-sized evergreen tree. The flowers are in dense, congested terminal heads, small, white and fragrant.
© Botha AD

Local names:
Afrikaans (witblomsalie,broshout,bergsalie), English (brittle-wood,bogwood), Zulu (umkhobeza,isiphofane)

Nuxia congesta is a shrub or small tree, 3-15 m high. The stem is 20-60 cm in diameter. Bark grey or brown, rough and stringy, young twigs often red. Slash ivory-like in colour and texture.

Leaves very variable, 1-8 cm long and 0.6-3.8 cm wide, arranged in whorls of 3 around the nodes. Leaf stalks short.

Flowers borne on branched broad or flat and dense heads; small, tubular, white or cream with purplish tint and fragrant. Flowers persist on tree.

Fruit a hairy capsule protruding from calyx.

The basis of its specific name ‘congesta’ are the dense/crowded flowers. N. congesta is a very variable species and its long list of synonyms attests this nomenclatural fact.

Ecology

N. congesta is a pioneering tree on edges of light upland or lower montane forest, bamboo zone and on hilltops above the forest margin as part of sucession towards forest. Nuxia is also common on rocky ridges. In lower montane forest Nuxia is normally associated with Olea africana.

Native range
Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Tree management

Suckers frequently when managed with burning.

N. congesta is a pioneering tree on edges of light upland or lower montane forest, bamboo zone and on hilltops above the forest margin as part of sucession towards forest. Nuxia is also common on rocky ridges. In lower montane forest Nuxia is normally associated with Olea africana.

Direct seeding is most reliable in propagating the species.

This is a hardy species suitable for marginal areas and rocky soils.

Erosion control:  The species protects loose soil on rocky sites.

Apiculture:  N. congesta is a good bee fodder tree.

The branches are used as firesticks.

Timber:  Wood is soft, white with little difference between sap and heartwood. The wood is used for building.

Shade or shelter:  N. congesta is a shade tree.

Ornamental:  An attractive species in flower, floral fragrance appealing.

N. congesta wood makes excellent, durable fence posts.