Aningeria adolfi-friederici is a large tropical forest tree of the Sapotaceae that can reach about 50 m tall, native to east and southern Africa. It is a shade-tolerant species of mature forest and is grown mainly for timber and shade rather than as an ornamental.
Family
Sapotaceae (Sapot family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Shade
Water
Water regularly while young, then rely on rainfall once established.
Soil
Well-drained forest soil or loamy mix.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Hard
Safety
Mildly toxic: Bark and fruit used in traditional medicine are described as moderately toxic and slow-acting; avoid eating unprepared plant parts.
Native range
SW. Ethiopia to Zimbabwe
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
About
Aningeria adolfi-friederici is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapotaceae, a tall, tropical forest tree. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The specific name adolfi-friedericii was given in honour of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, a German explorer in Africa. Its trade name muna is taken from Gĩkũyũ mũna.
Where it grows
Aningeria adolfi-friederici is a typical climax species of mature forest; it has a small crown which is higher than the surrounding canopy. It has large seeds which are viable for only a short time. They germinate freely, and the saplings are slow-growing but thrive in dense shade. It is plentiful in the understory layer but may be more scarce in the upper layers, particularly where the best trees in the forest have been selectively felled. In Kenya, it grows in lowland and montane dry evergreen forest habitats in the company of Suregada procera and Afrocarpus gracilior. It is a mycorrhizal species, the roots forming a symbiotic association with a fungus.
Uses
The heartwood is greyish-brown, and not clearly distinguishable from the sapwood. The timber is not very durable and is susceptible to attack by termites, fungi and boring insects. It is used to make furniture, and is also used for light construction work, flooring, joinery, cabinet work, boats, boxes, crates, veneers and plywood. It makes good firewood and is used to make charcoal.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aningeria adolfi-friederici by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.