Seedlings & Species

Documented Kenyan uses (Kakamega Forest) include treatment of sore throat, earache, chest complaints, flu, and toothache. Bark and leaf extracts show anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties in pharmacological studies.

Valued for furniture, cabinetry, plywood, and turnery. Attractive, durable wood used for decorative paneling and musical instruments.

Leaves woven into baskets, mats, brooms, and roofing thatch. The trunk provides building poles, beehives, and cabinet-making material. A true multipurpose palm of the ASALs.

Fibrous fruit pulp is edible and sweet, often chewed or made into beverages during dry seasons.

Bark extract (marketed as "pygeum") is globally recognised for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Used for generations in African traditional medicine; also shows anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective activities in pharmacological research.

Hard, heavy heartwood with a distinctive reddish-brown colour; used for construction, flooring, and tool handles.

Rich in monounsaturated fats (primarily oleic acid), potassium, magnesium, and bioactive polyphenols supporting cardiovascular health.

Leaf and seed extracts used in traditional medicine for skin infections and digestive disorders. Avocado oil is valued in skincare and hair products.

Leaves and young figs are excellent dry-season fodder. Research shows inclusion of F. thonningii leaves can replace commercial concentrate in goat diets.

Bark decoction used for colds, sore throat, and dysentery. Latex applied topically for wound healing.

Light but durable wood used for light construction, furniture, tool handles, and beehives. Fast-growing; well-suited to agroforestry boundary planting.

Root bark used for anaemia, diarrhoea, and back pain. Leaf preparations applied for rheumatic complaints.

Vivid yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are highly attractive to bees, an important species for honey production.

Pods and leaves are highly palatable livestock fodder. Gum arabic has food-grade and pharmaceutical applications.

Bark decoction used for diarrhoea, gingivitis, and skin irritation. Applied as an astringent and for wound healing.

Extremely hard, dense wood prized for furniture, carving, and high-quality firewood and charcoal.

Extremely durable, fine-grained, termite-resistant wood used for high-end carving, turnery, and long-lasting fence posts.

Bark and leaves used traditionally as tonics, astringents, and remedies for fevers, chest complaints, and tooth hygiene.

Leaves, bark, and roots used across East Africa to treat malaria, rheumatism, arthritis, pneumonia, cough, fever, and headache.

Leaf decoction taken for chest pain and as an anthelmintic. Root infusions used for stomach-ache and backache.

Nuts are rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat. Eaten roasted, boiled, or ground into gluten-free flour.

Naturally rot-resistant due to high tannin content; used for fencing posts, furniture, and outdoor construction.

Used across Africa to treat fevers, insect bites, and as a general restorative. Root and stem bark protect stored grain from pest insects.

Stem bark extracts show antifungal activity including against Candida strains in in-vitro studies.

Seeds contain 30–40% oil suitable for biodiesel. Residual seed cake contains 25–30% protein used as poultry and livestock feed supplement.

Bark decoction used against intestinal worms, whooping cough, pneumonia, malaria, and stomach ailments.

High-nitrogen leaves make excellent mulch for crops, especially coffee. Fast-growing pioneer species ideal for forest restoration and carbon sequestration.

Twigs (miswak/siwak) used for centuries as a natural toothbrush with documented antibacterial, antiplaque, and anti-gingivitis properties.

Root decoctions used for spleen conditions and stomach complaints. Leaves applied for cough and asthma.

Bark and root extracts used for pneumonia, asthma, malaria, candidiasis, and skin infections. Peppery-bitter taste from drimane sesquiterpenes (warburganal, mukaadial).

Yellow-green heartwood, fragrant and resistant to insect attack. Resin used as glue for tool handles.

Nutritious pulp rich in carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, and C, and minerals. Seeds are boiled or roasted as snacks.

Heartwood is naturally termite-resistant and valued for furniture and musical instruments.

Primary source of hard natural fibre for rope, twine, and handicrafts. Resists saltwater corrosion.

Architectural succulent used for live fencing and preventing soil erosion in degraded areas.