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Maytenus acuminata is a variable, medium-sized evergreen tree of Africa, common on the edges of afro-montane forest, valued as a light shade tree and for attracting birds. It is grown in seasonally dry tropical and warm climates.
Maytenus acuminata (also called the silky bark, umNama or Sybas) is a variable, medium-sized, evergreen tree indigenous to Africa, including South Africa. Here it is especially common on the verges of afro-montane forest. It produces small, white flowers and bright orange or red berries. In cultivation it is useful as a light shade tree, as an ornamental, or for attracting birds. The reference to "silk" in some of its common names derives from the way in which some of its sap will congeal into silky threads on contact with air. This can most easily be demonstrated by carefully breaking a leaf across, then gently pulling the two halves apart (see illustration). The threads appear at points that coincide with the positions where major veins in the leaf have broken. The threads do not appear to have any practical use, least of all as fibre.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Maytenus acuminata 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.
