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Brachylaena discolor
Also called Coastal Silver Oak, Coastal Silverleaf, Natal Silver Leaf
Brachylaena discolor is a dioecious shrub or tree from coastal southern Africa, grown for its silvery leaves and for dune stabilisation. It tolerates salt and sandy coastal conditions and is best kept in a sunny, free-draining spot.
Brachylaena discolor is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. Its common names include coast silver oak and coastal silver oak.
The plant grows in coastal forests, on the edges of mangroves, and along rivers.
The yellow wood is strong and has been used for many purposes, including the construction of boats, fences, housing and roofing, axles, tools, and knobkierries. It is considered a valuable carving wood. The ash was used in the production of soap.
Brachylaena elliptica · Forest Oak · Lowveld Silver Oak · Small Bitterleaf · Brachylaena merana · Brachylaena microphylla · Cape Silver Oak · Brachylaena perrieri · Brachylaena ramiflora · Brachylaena rotundata · Brachylaena stellulifera · Natal Silver Oak
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Brachylaena discolor 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.
