Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Sclerocarya caffra - Marula

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Nuts, Leaves, Kernel

A deciduous tree. It grows 10-18 m tall. It has a thick trunk and light rounded crown. The trunk is straight and 1 m across. The branches are large. The twigs are sturdy with blunt tips. The bark is grey but turns black with age. It is thick and develops cracks and raised scales. This gives the trunk a mottled appearance. The inner bark is pink-red. The leaves are compound, alternate and crowded at the tips of branches. The leaves are 15-30 cm long. New leaves are tinged pink. Older leaves are bluish green and paler on the underside. There are 3-18 pairs of leaflets and one central leaflet. The leaflets are oval and stalked. They are 3-10 cm long and 1.3-4 cm wide. They are pointed at the tip. The midrib of the leaflets is more towards one side of the blade. The flowers have male and female flowers on the same or on different trees. Male flowers are pale green and hang downwards attracting insects. Female flowers occur on their own and are green-pink. Flowers are 5-8 mm across. Flower spikes are 10 cm long. The fruit is rounded and fleshy and 3.5 cm across. The skin is smooth, cream and spotted.
Distribution
It is a tropical tree occurring at medium and low altitudes up to 1,600 m. It grows in the lowlands. It occurs throughout Africa. It occurs in savannah and wooded grassland. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It suits warm dry areas and sandy soils. Trees are susceptible to frost when young. It does best in hot, dry climates. It needs a permanent supply of moisture. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.