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Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus
Also called Cherywood
Cherrywood (Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus) is a medium-sized evergreen tree or bush from South Africa, grown for its scented flowers and bright orange lantern-shaped berries. It suits coastal gardens and hedges and tolerates drought once established.
Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus, commonly called candlewood, cherrywood or kershout, is a medium-sized evergreen tree, indigenous to South Africa.
In cultivation, the candlewood can be pruned to form a proper shade tree. However, it can also be allowed to grow as a bushy screen, if its lower branches are not removed.
This plant grows particularly well in coastal conditions (although it can also be found inland).
The candlewood is indigenous to the southern part of South Africa. Here it naturally occurs from Cape Town in the west, all the way along the south coast of South Africa as far as KwaZulu-Natal. In this range it can be found in most soil types, from coastal sand to rocky mountain slopes and clay.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus 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.
