Shaking up the Torchwood Trees – Londolozi Blog

As winter descends upon Londolozi, the landscape undergoes a dramatic transformation. The once-lush vegetation recedes, and food sources become scarce. However, the Torchwood trees come to life during these cooler months, as the tree’s fruits ripen offering a tasty nutritious treat and sustenance to the ever-hungry elephants during these lean months.

Have you ever witnessed the majestic sight of an elephant shaking up a torchwood tree?

Patience is often rewarded with spectacular sights here, but there is always a moment of awe and amusement as you watch an elephant lift its trunk, wrap its tusks around a torchwood tree, and begin to shake it until the fruits fall to the ground. While you may have also seen or heard of this behaviour with the more familiar marula trees that fruit in the summer months (and thanks to the popularity of the Ama-choco-chino’s blend that goes down a treat on a chilly winter morning), the torchwood trees are now the flavour of the season.

The Torchwood Tree

The torchwood tree (Balanites maughamii) stands tall with its fluted trunk up to 25m (82ft) making it a significant feature over rolling crests. Also referred to as the greenthorn tree, after the prominent ‘Y’ shaped thorns that attempt to detract browsers, the fruits contain a sticky, resinous substance that is irresistible to elephants, amongst other fruit lovers. It is the good-quality edible oil that also burns a bright flame and the dry kernels that have been used as torches by many local people in historical times that the name Torchwood stems from. Scientifically, Balanites is rooted in the Greek word ‘balanos‘ meaning acorn and referring to the fruit shape while maugahmii refers to RCF Maugham, a British Consul at Lourenço Marques (Maputo) who sent the type specimen to Kew.

I haven’t yet made a torch from the kernels but it is always fun to add a few to the campfire in the evenings.

Beyond the multiple names and its combustible nature, the torchwood tree has numerous traditional uses and medicinal properties that are still valued today. The oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, while the bark and leaves are harvested to treat various ailments ranging from infections to digestive issues. Some say the infusion of the bark also makes for a refreshing bath thanks to the moisturising qualities – something I think I might just need to try out. Traditional healers would also use the roots and bark, together with other plants that have been soaked in water and beaten into a froth to ward off any evil spirits.

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

There are certainly many examples out there but the relationship between elephants and torchwood trees is another great example of symbiosis. As elephants feed on the fruits, they inadvertently assist in the tree’s propagation. When an elephant chews on these fruits, they can exert an extremely large amount of force onto the hard casing around the fruit, exposing the seed. The seeds then, once ingested, pass through the elephants’ digestive systems and are deposited across the landscape through the elephant’s dung. This natural seed dispersal mechanism ensures that new torchwood trees sprout far and wide, promoting the growth and sustainability of the species.