EVERGREEN
Curtisia dentata
SEMI-SHADE
SEMI FROST HARDY
MEDIUM WATER REQUIREMENTS
FAST GROWER
AVERAGE SIZE:
6m x 4m
FLOWERING TIME:
J F M A M J J A S O N D
FRUITING TIME:
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Curtisia dentata
DESCRIPTION
An attractive and well-shaped evergreen tree with a smooth, grey or cinnamon-coloured bark in young trees that becomes rough, dark brown to black and deeply square-fissured with age. The coursely-toothed leaves have a glossy-green upper surface with a hairy under surface. Very young growth is velvety to the touch and bronze-gold in colour.
The unscented flowers are inconspicuous, small, cream-coloured and velvety and appear in much-branched sprays at the ends of twigs in spring-summer.
The fruit is a small, rounded to oval, fleshy berry, about 10 mm in diameter. They are white, tinged with pink, sometimes becoming red. The fruits contain a four-chambered nut, one seed per chamber. They remain on the tree for a long time and can be very decorative.
4 responses
Hi Anni
Thanks for visiting our site.
Without seeing the space, it’s a little tricky.
I suggest you consult with your local nursery on the following possible options:
– Celtis africana (White stinkwood)
– Combretum kraussii (Forest bushwillow)
– Bolusanthus speciosus (Tree wisteria)
– Searsia pendulina (White karee)
Flourish!
Glenice
Hi Glenice,
I am looking for a deciduous tree for a courtyard of 5×8 m in Paarl where it becomes very hot in summer and the south easter can sometimes be a bit of a problem. I would love it to loose its leaves so that there will be sun in winter. Soil is sandy and full of river pebbles
Hi Johanna
Thanks for visiting Plantbook.
Curtisia dentata is from the Dogwood family (Cornaceae) and Grewia occidentalis is of the Jute family (Tiliaceae), so no, they are not related.
The flowers and seeds are also very different. Curtisia has small, inconspicuous cream flowers and a round, fleshy fruit while Grewia has showy mauve flowers and a four-lobed fruit.
The leaves have some similarities and may be confusing on younger plants, so you could perhaps have been given a Grewia occidentalis instead of a Curtisia dentata.
Flourish!
Glenice
Hello, I was given a Curtis dentata but I also have Grewia Occidentalis Both have the same seeds and flowers. Are they family?
Thank you