Brabejum (Wild Almond)

 

Brabejum is a genus of a single species of large evergreen tree, Brabejum stellatifolium, commonly called wild almond, bitter almond or ghoeboontjie.

 

It is restricted in the wild to South Africa's Western Cape Province, where it grows in thickets along the banks of streams.

 

The plant is of botanical interest as being Africa's only member of the large grevilleoid subfamily. It is a bushy small tree with branches widely at ground level and numerous erect vigorous stems.. In summer, the plant bears white flowers densely crowded on spikes arising from rusty buds at the leaf axils. The fruits to 2 in (5 cm) long, magenta to reddish brown, similar to an almond, appear in autumn. The nut is too bitter to eat; however, in earlier times it was boiled, roasted, and ground to make a "coffee" drink.

 

This tree has special significance in Cape Town's heritage, as it was used to make Van Riebeeck's Hedge - the Cape's first formal boundary. Parts of this original hedge can still be seen growing today at Kirstenbosch.

 

Despite its common name, this tree is not a member of the almond family, and is in fact a type of Protea. It acquired the name "wild almond" simply because its fruits vaguely resemble almonds. The part-Khoilocal name "ghoeboontjie" also refers to the fruit kernels and their use in traditional coffee

 

They prefer moist areas, and commonly occur near streams in sheltered gorges and on lower mountain slopes. In Cape Town they are still abundant on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, although at one time large numbers were felled in this area to make way for commercial pine plantations. However, despite its limited range, this species is not currently listed as threatened.