Linaceae
Hugonia castaneifolia
Shrub
14 medium available right now.
About
This East African scrambling shrub or small tree grows 2-7 metres tall, featuring young branches covered in dense brown hairs and often bearing opposite or subopposite hooks. Its leaves are typically ovate to elliptic, sometimes serrated, while the sweetly scented yellow or white flowers give way to orange, obovoid fruits. It naturally occurs in dry evergreen and riverine forests, as well as coastal secondary bushland in Kenya and Tanzania.
Where it works in Kilifi
Ideal for coastal Kilifi gardens, this species thrives in well-drained soils and can be utilised for ecological restoration or as a natural screening plant, particularly in areas mimicking its native forest edge habitats.
Sources
Researched with web grounding from: kew.org, jstor.org, africanplantdatabase.ch. Please verify with local knowledge before relying on these notes.