Rubiaceae
Tricalysia pallens
S
Not currently in the nursery
We can propagate most native species on request — get in touch to discuss timeline and quantity.
About
Tricalysia pallens is typically an evergreen shrub, occasionally growing into a small tree up to 10-18 metres tall. It features glossy dark green leaves, obovate to elliptic in shape, which can be thinly textured and have hairy midribs with distinct hair-tuft domatia. Its small, white or greenish-cream flowers appear in clusters, sometimes with an unpleasant scent, and develop into spherical, red fruits 3-6 mm in diameter that are eaten by birds.
Where it works in Kilifi
This species thrives in evergreen forests, forest margins, and riverine thickets, often as an understorey plant. In a Kilifi-coast garden, it would be suitable for shaded or semi-shaded areas, potentially as a specimen shrub, a component of a mixed hedge, or for ecological restoration, particularly where conditions mimic its natural moist forest habitat.
Sources
Researched with web grounding from: zambiaflora.com, kew.org, jstor.org, mozambiqueflora.com, zimbabweflora.co.zw, nih.gov. Please verify with local knowledge before relying on these notes.