Colophospermum mopane

This unique tree from southern (tropical) Africa is not only beautiful because of its butterfly-shaped, 2-lobed leaves (also resembling a camel's footprint) but is also an important food source for humans and animals! In nature, this tree grows 4-30 m high. In our climate, you cultivate them in a large pot (add lime!) and keep them to a maximum height of 2 m, as they still need to fit indoors. If you damage the leaves, a turpentine scent is released... The plant sheds its leaves annually, displaying beautiful autumn and spring colors. They tolerate our autumn well, but before winter, they need to overwinter indoors in a cool place. The kidney-shaped fruits contain sticky, resinous seeds, which you can (carefully!) pry open.
If you ever encounter this tree in Africa on a hot, sunny day, the first thing you'll notice is that they provide little shade: the leaves position themselves to minimize surface area exposed to the sun. African animals sometimes have to get used to the smell of the tree, but once they've eaten it, they love it. In some areas, elephants even contribute to the Mopane's extinction. Due to the secretion of an African insect (Arytaina mopani), the leaves develop a sweet layer that is eagerly scraped off by humans and animals as manna. Finally, the leaves are eaten by the Mopane caterpillar; the caterpillars are a delicacy in Africa, just check YouTube! The twigs are chewed for teeth cleaning, and the leaves are said to have wound-healing properties. The wood of the trees is very hard and was formerly used for railway sleepers and, because it is termite-resistant, also for fencing.

Names:
Latin: Colophospermum mopane
Dutch: Mopane
English: Turpentine Tree