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Lavender Tree

Heteropyxis natalensis

SA tree no: 455

English: Lavender Tree, Wild Lavender

Afrikaans: Laventelboom, Wildelavental, Leventelboom

Zulu: iNkunzi, iNkunzwa, uMkhuswa, uMkhuze, uHuzu

Venda: Mudedede, Munukha-vhaloi

Heteropyxis natalensis, commonly known as the Lavender Tree or Laventelboom, is an attractive small to medium-sized deciduous tree. It is particularly admired for its distinctive pale grey, often flaking bark, and its slender, shiny dark green leaves that release a strong, pleasant lavender scent when crushed. It makes an excellent garden tree, especially suitable for smaller spaces, and offers beautiful autumn colours.

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Distinguishing features:

  • Leaves are narrowly elliptic, shiny dark green above, paler below, and emit a strong lavender scent when crushed.

  • Bark is distinctively pale grey, often almost white, and flakes off on older stems, sometimes revealing an orange under-bark.

  • Small, yellowish-green, sweetly scented flowers in branched terminal clusters in summer.

  • Leaves often turn rich red, brown, and yellow in autumn.


Overall appearance: 

A small to medium-sized deciduous tree with a rounded crown, drooping foliage, and a distinctive, often mottled, pale bark.


Height: 

Typically 4-7 m, but can reach up to 10 m (or even 15 m in ideal conditions, e.g., in Zimbabwe).


Leaves:

  • Simple (single blade), narrowly elliptic.

  • Arranged spirally or alternately.

  • Shiny dark green above, paler green below.

  • Slightly hairy to hairless when mature.

  • Emit a strong lavender scent when crushed due to secretory cavities.

  • Margins are entire (smooth, not toothed) and slightly wavy.

  • Petiole (leaf stalk) is slender, up to 2.4 cm long, and may be pinkish.

  • Deciduous in colder areas, developing rich red, brown, and yellow autumn colours.


Flowers:

  • Very small, about 3 mm in diameter.

  • Yellowish-green or creamy-yellow.

  • Sweetly scented.

  • Borne in spreading axillary and terminal panicles (branched clusters).

  • Appear in summer (December-March).

  • Unisexual and regular (symmetrical).


Flowering season: 

Summer (December-March).


Fruits:

  • Small, oval capsules, up to 4 x 2.5 mm.

  • Shiny brown.

  • Appear between March and May.

  • Split into 2 or 3 valves when mature, releasing numerous seeds.

  • Old capsules may remain on the tree for months.


Seeds:

  • Tiny, dark brown.

  • Winged and 3-angled.

  • Wind-dispersed.

  • Approximately 6000 seeds per gram.


Bark:

  • Distinctively pale grey, often almost white.

  • Smooth when young, becoming mottled and flaking on older stems.

  • Flaking pieces may reveal an orange under-bark, which soon fades.

  • Stem can be slender, crooked, or fluted.


Stems: 

Main stem is often crooked and sometimes fluted. Slender branches.


Wood:

  • Hard, very fine-grained.

  • Pale pinkish-brown in colour.

  • Tough.


Soil type: 

Sandy, Loam. Tolerates both acid and neutral pH levels.


Aspect: 

Full sun. Can tolerate some shade, but prefers full sun for best growth and autumn colours.

Uses:

  • Horticulture:

  1. Attractive garden tree, especially suitable for townhouse gardens due to its small to medium size.

  2. Excellent focal point with its glossy green leaves and whitish stem.

  3. Provides beautiful autumn colours (red, brown, yellow).

  4. Good for bonsai.

  5. Flowers attract butterflies, bees, and wasps.

  • Traditional Medicine:

  1. Leaves and roots are used medicinally.

  2. Decoction of roots for inhaling steam to heal a bleeding nose.

  3. Roots used in the treatment of mental disorders.

  4. Fresh leaves used during weaning.

  5. Leaves and roots are used to treat worms in livestock.

  • Other uses:

  1. Leaves are used in herbal tea and potpourri.

  2. Leaves are used to scent tobacco.

  3. Wood is used for fence posts and charcoal due to its hardness and fine grain.


Ecology:

  • Bark and leaves are browsed by black rhino.

  • Leaves browsed by Grey-duiker and Kudu.

  • Flowers attract bees, wasps, and butterflies for pollination.

  • Grows in bushveld, riverine bush, rocky slopes in mixed deciduous woodland.


Distribution and habitat:

  • Not endemic to South Africa. Also found in eSwatini (Swaziland), southern Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

  • Provincial distribution in South Africa: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (coastal and inland regions), Limpopo, Mpumalanga.

  • Grows from close to sea level up to 2000 m.

  • Occurs in bushveld, riverine bush, and rocky slopes in mixed deciduous woodland.


Derivation of name:

  • The genus name Heteropyxis is from Greek: 'hetero' meaning 'different' and 'pyxis' meaning 'the container with the lid'. This refers to the capsule (fruit) which resembles a pyxidium (a fruit that opens with a lid).

  • The species name natalensis refers to its place of origin, KwaZulu-Natal.

  • The family Heteropyxidaceae is small, with only three species in southern Africa (H. natalensis, H. canescens, and H. dehniae).


Historical aspects: 

The family Heteropyxidaceae is characterized by alternate, entire, simple leaves with secretory cavities that emit a pleasant smell when crushed. This tree is a valuable indigenous species with both ornamental and traditional uses.


Interesting facts:

  • If you love the scent of lavender, you'll adore this tree! Crush its leaves, and you'll be greeted by a lovely lavender aroma, which is why it's called the Lavender Tree.

  • This tree's bark is like a piece of art! It's distinctively pale grey and flakes off in patches, sometimes revealing a beautiful orange under-bark, giving it a unique mottled appearance.

  • Not just a pretty face, this tree is a hit with wildlife! Its leaves are a favourite snack for black rhinos, grey duikers, and kudus, and its flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and wasps.


Growing tips:

  • Propagation: Can be easily grown from seeds. Sow seeds in well-drained moist soil and cover with a thin layer of compost. Keep them in a warm area to promote rapid germination. Propagation by cuttings is possible but has a very low success rate.

  • Planting: Plant in full sun for best growth and autumn colours.

  • Watering: Drought-tolerant once established, but benefits from regular watering, especially when young.

  • Frost: Young plants are frost-sensitive, so protect them in colder areas. They become more tolerant as they mature.

  • Growth rate: Relatively fast-growing, can grow up to 1m per year.

  • Uses: Excellent as a focal point in small gardens, provides good shade, and attracts pollinators.

This plant is a fantastic alternative for:

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Common name

Scientific Name

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