Cussonia paniculata Eckl. & Zeyh.

Cabbage tree, mountain cabbage tree

Mountain cabbage trees are South African natives, not found in the wild in North America.

Plants: The “gnarly” bark and crooked branching of this small tree is attractive and suggestive of bonsai. Trees are up to 16′ (5 m) high. The stem is thick and squat, with corky bark. Both the stem base and the roots store water, like all responsible succulents.

Leaves: Palm-like in that they radiate from a central source in groups of 7-9 and up to 13 leaflets, long, narrow and lobed in general shape; large, bluish-green, almost silvery, and waxy. Leaflets are up to 12″ (30 cm) long. They may be deeply lobed, like dandelion leaves; or barely lobed, more like aloe leaves. The leaf shapes are very interesting—they remind me of large blue-green snowflakes.

Flowers: Small and green, in short spikes on stalks.

Fruits: Pea-like, purple-maroon, and fleshy.

Habitats: Rocky slopes from the Swartberg mountains in the Western Cape to Mpumalanga.

Online References:

Cussonia paniculata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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