Flora & Fauna

List of animals found on Mahlathini private game reserve.

List of birds found on Mahlathini private game reserve.

List of frogs found on Mahlathini private game reserve

List of trees found on Mahlathini private game reserve

Tree Wisteria – Bolusanthus speciosus
Fast grower from seed , nice display of purple flowers.

Transvaal Gardenia – Gardenia volkensii
Attractive small tree, white to yellow flowers

Baobab – Adansonia digitata [introduced]
Slow growing, by the time it gets to fruiting we will be living on the moon.

Grewia Thicket.
Good for birds, which eat the berries and use the cover.

Sour Plum – Ximinea Species
Fruit eaten by birds and squirrels

Marula – Sclerocarya birrea
Fruit bearing, large tree. Fruit eaten by a large variety of animals

Spiny Monkey Orange – Strychnos spinosa
Edible fruit

Sjambok Pod / Long-Tail Cassia – Cassia abbriviata
Attractive small tree, striking yellow flowers, visited by various butterflies and other insects. Seeds are sought after by Brown-headed Parrots and Grey Louries

Fever Tree Acacia – Acacia xanthophloea [introduced]
Attractive, fast growing tree, used by weaver birds for nesting. Striking yellow-green trunk

Tamboti – Spirostachys africana
Attractive tree, upright, slow growing. Bark fed on by porcupine and black rhino

Impala Lily – Adenium obesum
Flowers attract butterflies and various insects

Flame Creeper / Flame Climbing Bushwillow – Combretum microphyllum [introduced]
Attractive creeper, striking sprays of brilliant red flowers

Aloes
Various lowveld aloes attract birds during flowering and seeding

Species Ficus
Any of the indigenous figs are easy to grow, make good shade trees, are fast growing and attract a host of wild birds and animals.

Common Fig – Ficus natalensis

Corkwood / Kanniedood/ Xifati – Comifora ingens ( various species)
Fruit is eaten by Yellow-billed Hornbills

Black Monkey Thorn – Acacia burkei
Shepherds Tree – Boscia angustifolia
Common Hook Thorn – Acacia Caffra

Knob Thorn Acacia – Acacia nigrescens
Striking feature is woody knobs on the trunk of the tree and branches. Leaves, flowers and pods eaten by kudu, elephant, giraffe, baboon, monkey.

Common White Thorn

Sickle- Bush – Dichrostachys cinerea
The pink-yellow flowers resembles Chinese lanterns. Their tightly coiled pods are very distinctive and are eatn by a wide variety of animals, such as rhino, monkey, giraffe, buffalo.

African Weeping-wattle – Peltophorum africanum
The tree has striking, dull green, large, Acacia-like, soft, feathery leaves and has no thorns. Abundant yellow flowers amongst the leaves in summer. The tree is often infested with the spittle bug, which secretions drip down, causing it to “rain” under the tree.

Magic Guarri – Euclea divinorum
Evergreen. Fruit is eaten by birds such as hornbills.

Bushveld Albizia -Albizia harveyi
Bridelia Mollis

Buffalo-Thorn – Ziziphus mucronata
The fruit and leaves are eaten by a large variety of animals such as rhino, impala, nyala, kudu and giraffe. Butterflies breed in the trees.

Silver Cluster-Leaf – Terminalea sericea
The young leaves have silver hairs, giving the tree a characteristic silver shine. A wide variety of animals feed on the leaves and branches.

Mopani pomergranate – Rhizygom Zambeziacum
An explosion of pleasant smelling yellow flowers in spring.

Red Bushwillow – Combretum apiculatum
The medium-sized, russet, four-winged pods are visible most of the year.The fruit is eaten by Brown-headed Parrots. Young and fallen leaves are eaten regularly by a variety of animals.

Mopani – Colophospermum mopane
The butterfly-shaped leaves are characteristic. The leaves are eaten by elephant.

Other indigenous plants to grow in your garden

Sausage Tree – Kigelia africana
Fast growing, good shade, beautiful red flowers. Attracts birds and bats.

Natal Mahogany – Trichilia emetica
Fast grower, good shade, attracts birds. Seed are eaten by squirrels, birds, porcupine, duiker.

Forest Natal Mahogany – Trichilia dregeana
Similar to Natal mahogany, good shade tree.

Dog Plum – Ekebergia capensis
Good shade, fruit edible fast growing.

Kooboo Berry – Cassine aethiopica
Edible fruit

Common Coral Tree – Erythrina lysistemon
Flowers striking red, utilized by sunbirds.

Scented-Pod Thorn Acacia – Acacia nilotica
Attractive smallish acacia, nice fragrance.

Num Num – Carissa bispinosa
Edible fruit. Attracts birds and squirrels.

Jackal-Berry – Diospyros mespiliformis
Slow growing large tree, fruit attracts numerous animals and birds.

Wild Plum – Hyperphylum
Fruit edible, good shade and brings in birds.

Kudu Lily
White flowers, attractive garden plant.