About Canthium inerme (L.f.) Kuntze
Canthium inerme, commonly known as Turkey-berry, is a tough, adaptable medium-sized tree native to South Africa. It produces small edible fruits and has a variety of uses in traditional medicine.
This species has a wide distribution: it occurs from Cape Town in the south, along South Africa's eastern coast to Mozambique, and inland as far as Zimbabwe. Its range also includes Natal, Eswatini and Transvaal. This adaptable tree grows in a variety of habitats, ranging from afro-montane forest to coastal grassland and bushveld, from sea level up to 1700 m. It is not found in the most arid environments, nor in the wettest forests, and prefers drier scrub forests.
In gardens, this hardy evergreen tree attracts birds, and can be grown as a security hedge. To encourage a typical tree shape, prune off its lower branches. It is known to grow very easily from seed. This entry describes the foliage and typically twisted trunk of a fully grown Canthium inerme tree.
