Dovyalis afra (Hook.f. & Harv.) Hook.f.
formerly Dovyalis caffra
Kei-apple · Kei-appel (Afr.)
Evergreen, spiny Kei-apple: a hedge or small tree with edible apricot-coloured fruit.
What’s in the name: Dovyalis: from the Greek "dory", a spear, for those vicious spines (probably meant to read "Doryalis"); afra: "African".
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”
— Proverbs 25:11 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Salicaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Valley bushveld, dry areas, wooded grassland and forest edges from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini to Limpopo and Zimbabwe.
Size & form
Spiny shrub or tree, usually 3–5 m (occasionally 8 m), with a much-branched crown and moderate growth.
Flowering
November to December: small creamy-green flowers.
Uses in landscaping
- Security hedge – plant close together
- Drought- and frost-resistant tree for fruit and birds
Care notes
Easy from cleaned, shade-dried seed pressed into river sand and lightly covered. Hardwood cuttings also root with rooting hormone.
Wildlife value
Pollinated by insects and birds; turacos (louries) and bulbuls eat the fruit and spread the seed.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Dovyalis afra'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Dovyalis caffra (Hook.f. & Harv.) Warb. (assessment 2005/06/30).