Afrocarpus falcatus

A large upright evergreen tree with a moderate growth rate that can reach a mature height of 60 – 80 feet with equal sized canopy spread. The canopy will develop a dense pyramidal shape with finely textured foliage on drooping branches. They develop inconspicuous flowers on female trees that are followed by its fruit. Mature female trees that go unpruned for several seasons will produce fruit litter can be quite messy. This species has a straight stem and is fast growing and mature trees can have a trunk diameter of 40 inches or more with an even wider trunk flare. In young trees, the bark is smooth, thin, and rather greyish to a purplish dark brown. Older trees, will shed bark in round or chunky flakes in midsummer. When it is done shedding the bark has a lighter two-toned effect that soon darkens. This is a tree that is good for parkways, medians, parks and lawns that provide at least 8’ of growspace to accommodate its root mass. They do not tolerate root damage and are prone to failure when too much of the root mass is removed or damaged. They do not suffer from any significant pest problems, they tolerate drought, most soil types, high salinity, cold, seacoast exposure, and air pollution.