Friday Fact
By Vivian Nheya
Know your indigenous trees. Marula Tree. Sclerocarya birrea Indigenous trees also referred to as native trees are plants aboriginal to a given area in geologic time, they are referred to as plants that developed, occurred naturally or exist for many years in an area. Marula Tree is a single stemmed tree with a wide spreading crown. The tree grows up to 18 m tall mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands. It is widely distributed across Africa. There is evidence of human domestication of marula trees because of its vast benefits. The fruits, which ripen between December and March, have a light yellow skin. The trees are dioecious, meaning that there are male and female trees. The fruit is traditionally used for food in Africa, and has considerable socioeconomic benefits. The fruit juice and pulp are mixed with water and fermented to make beer, commercially it is used to make the famous Amarula beer. The fruit is also food for elephants. The fruit is edible, rich in Vitamin C and is used to make marula oil. Women pick the fruit for sale therefore it's importance in sustaining rural livelihoods.
Marula Trees do not require much water and can thrive on unfertile soils therefore can be panted in areas with low water tables. Marula Trees also play a pivotal role in climate change adaptation and mitigation, therefore the need to plant the tree and sustain those already available at the same time avoiding overexploitation of the fruit. In Zimbabwe the Marula tree is mostly found in areas around Masvingo, Zvishavane and Mangwe district.
