Ochna serrulata
Description
Ochna serrulata, also know as the Small-leaved plane or Carnival bush, is a small shrub growing between 1 and 2 m high, although it may occasionally become a small tree up to 6 m high. The narrow leaves are oblong to elliptic and are shiny green with fine toothed serrations along the leaf edges. During the spring, the shrub's fragrant yellow blossoms appear and soon after the petals tend to drop soon after they bloom. While the fruit is developing, the sepals enlarge and turn bright red, in most cases turning the whole plant red. The fruit are initially pale green and turn black. In places including Kirstenbosch, the fruits on the plant start ripening in the early summer, while the red sepals last until around late summer. The flowers usually attract bees and butterflies, while the birds tend to eat the fruits from the plant. The seeds can be released by birds and water.Sources and references
Scientific name
Ochna serrulata
Common name(s)
Mickey-mouse bush
Features
- Fragrant
- Good potplant
- It provides medicinal value
- This is a bird-friendly species
- This will attract honey bees
- Will attract sunbirds