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Apodytes dimidiata (white pear or umDakane) is a bushy tree with white flowers bearing a fragrance reminiscent of fresh coconut, and small black and red fruits. It is usually about 5 m tall (but reaches a height of 20 m when growing in deep forest), and it is indigenous to Southern Africa. The taxonomical family placement for this and other Apodytes was uncertain; it is now placed in the Metteniusaceae. Its English common name is in reference to the timber which is similar in appearance to that of the European pear tree of the northern hemisphere.
This tree's characteristics (evergreen attractive foliage; fruits that are not fleshy and therefore will not cause a mess; and a gentle non-invasive root system that will not damage paving) mean that Apodytes dimidiata is an ideal tree to plant around paved areas, near swimming pools, next to buildings, in small gardens and also anywhere that may need shade throughout the year.
The white pear is best propagated by seed, though germination is extremely slow. The seed takes about half a year to germinate and the young plants are also relatively slow growing. However, these trees grow very much faster as they become larger and more established.
Apodytes dimidiata is a prominent and common tree in South African forests. It grows naturally from Cape Town in the south, all the way along the east coast of southern Africa as far north as Kenya and inland as far as Gauteng. It is usually found in coastal thicket, afro-montane forest and mountainous bushveld.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Apodytes dimidiata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
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.
