Warburgia ugandensis
Warburgia ugandensis Seedlings
Warburgia ugandensis
Warburgia ugandensis, also known as Ugandan green heart or simply green heart tree, is a species of evergreen tree native to East Africa. Countries in which the plant species is found include Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The wood is resistant to insect attack[1] and very strong. It was commonly used for the yoke pole of ox-wagons, the Dissel boom.
Warburgia ugandensis Plantation
Early Indian immigrants to Kenya, working on the construction of the railway, used the leaves to flavor their curries before the chili plant was commonly introduced. The flavor is hot and subtly different from the chilies.
Extracts of W. ugandensis have been
reported to show some antimalarial, antifungal, and antibacterial
properties in vitro or in animal models.
Unsustainable overharvesting of the bark reduced the population of the longifolia subspecies
to the Rondo Forest Reserve in Tanzania, which prompted the IUCN to
list it as vulnerable in its Red List of Threatened Species.
