White Stinkwood

Afrikaans name: Witstinkhout

White Stinkwood tree

Photo © Steven Herbert

Celtis africana

The White Stinkwood has a number of qualities that make it a popular choice by gardeners in South Africa. It is fast growing, provides shade in summer and reaches a manageable height of around 12 metres. In its ideal forest habitat they reach a height of 25 metres.

The bark of the White Stinkwood is smooth and pale grey to whitish in colour. The leaves are serrated over much of the edge. When new the leaves are bright green in colour then they go darker with age.

The greenish flowers are small and not particularly conspicuous. The rounded fruit turn brownish or blackish once ripe. The wood gives off a strong smell when cut giving rise to its name.

Leaves

Photo © Steven Herbert

References and further reading

Trees of Southern Africa - 3rd edition - Author: Keith Coates Palgrave - Published: 2002 - Page: 126

Wild About Johannesburg - Author: Duncan Butchart - Published: 1995 - Page: 89

Tsitsikama Trees - Author: Prof. HB Rycroft - Published: 1980 - Page: 18

What s that Tree? - Author: Eugene Moll - Published: 2011 - Page: 80

Trees and Shrubs of the Witwatersrand - Author: Tree Society of SA - Published: 1974 - Page: 78

The Natal Bushveld - Volume 1 - Author: Natal Parks Board - Published: 1981 - Page: 21

The Sandton Field Guide - Author: Sandton Nature Conservation Society - Published: 1982 - Page: 196

Trees & Shrubs of the Witwatersrand, Magaliesberg & Pilanesberg - Author: Joan van Gogh - Published: 1988 - Page: 12

The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei - Author: Elsa Pooley - Published: 1994 - Page: 64

The Flora of the Natal Drakensberg - Author: Donald Killick - Published: 1990 - Page: 66

Sappi Tree Spotting: KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape - 2nd edition - Author: Val Thomas and Rina Grant - Published: 2004 - Page: 182

Sasol First Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa - Author: Elsa Pooley - Published: 1999 - Page: 20

Sixty-six Transvaal Trees - Author: B de Winter, M de Winter & D Killick - Published: 1996 - Page: 22

Plants of the Baviaanskloof - Author: D Euston-Brown & M Kruger - Published: 2023 - Page: 308

Sappi Tree Spotting: Bushveld - 2nd edition - Author: R Grant and V Thomas - Published: 2005 - Page: 242

Sappi Tree Spotting: Highveld and the Drakensburg - Author: Val Thomas and Rina Grant - Published: 1998 - Page: 166

Photographic Guide to Trees of Southern Africa - Author: B, P, and B-E van Wyk - Published: 2000 - Page: 83

Piet van Wyk s Field Guide to the Trees of the Kruger National Park - 1st editi - Author: Piet van Wyk - Published: 1988 - Page: 23

Indigenous Beginnings - Author: Anneke Kearney - Published: 2008 - Page: 29

Indigenous Garden Plants of Southern Africa - Author: Glenice Ebedes - Published: 2017 - Page: 17

Know Them by their Fruit - Author: AT Ankiewicz - Published: 2021 - Page: 29

Garden Birds in South Africa - Author: Duncan Butchart - Published: 2017 - Page: 162

Healing Trees & Plants of the Lowveld - Author: Dumes, Loon and Bester - Published: 2009 - Page: 22

Gardening with Birds - Author: Tom Spence - Published: 1988 - Page: 39

Gardening with Birds - Author: Tom Spence - Published: 1988 - Page: 77

Field Guide To The Wild Flowers Of The Witwatersrand & Pretoria Region - Author: Braam van Wyk & Sasa Malan - Published: 1988 - Page: 308

Field Guide to the Trees of the Kruger National Park - 5th edition - Author: Piet van Wyk - Published: 2008 - Page: 23

Field Guide to the Cradle of Humankind - Author: B. Hilton-Barber & Prof. L. R. Berger - Published: 2004 - Page: 199

Eastern Cape Veld Flowers - 2nd edition - Author: Eily Gledhill - Published: 1981 - Page: 100

Everyone s Guide to Trees of South Africa - Author: Keith, Paul and Meg Coates Palgrave - Published: 1989 - Page: 20

A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa - Revised - Author: E. Palmer - Published: 1983 - Page: 86

A site-by-site guide to trees in the Kruger National Park - Author: Marissa Greeff - Published: 2017 - Page: 16

A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa - 1st edition - Author: E. Palmer - Published: 1977 - Page: 82

For more info: SANBI

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