Jackalberry health benefit

The Jackalberry tree is a small to medium-sized evergreen or semi-deciduous tree that can grow up to 25-40 meters tall. It has dense, rounded stems with buttresses and a straight, cylindrical bole that can reach up to 150-200 centimetres in diameter. The tree can be found in riparian forests, dry semi-evergreen forests, drier northern borders, woodlands, wooded savannas, scattered tree grasslands, and interfaces with fringing forests or woodlands. It can also grow in drier Combretum woodland and rocky places.

Fruit

After the growth of fertile flowers, the plant produces solitary, almost spherical fleshy berries that can reach up to 3 cm in diameter. As the berry matures, a visible, distinct calyx with triangular lobes that curve backwards emerges and grows in size. The calyx reaches about a third of the way up the fruit. At the end of the fruit is a persistent style forming a short, narrow tip. When young, the berry has short, soft hairs, but these disappear as it ripens and turns yellowish or purplish, with a smooth or slightly wrinkled surface. The berry has tough skin and a thin layer of flesh, and at maturity, it dries and dehisces slowly. The plant forms 3-6 smooth seeds, each up to 1-3 cm long, and compressed with a reddish-brown, mottled, and flattish oblong-ellipsoid shape. The seeds have a visible, nearly straight groove.

Trunk

The trees have tall, straight trunks with branches that grow high above the ground. As the trees age and become heavier, the trunks develop fluted ridges that make them stronger. The bark changes from blackish or dark brown when young to dark grey as the tree matures, with rough, deep grooves. The outer layer of the bark is pinkish brown or black, while the inner layer is pink. The young branchlets are green and covered in pinkish-white hairs, which eventually fall off. The trees have a dense, dark green crown that spreads wide.

Wood

The material known as wood is characterized by its sturdiness, incredible strength, and remarkable resistance to termites. Its heartwood features a fine-grained texture and is ideal for flooring and crafting high-quality furniture. The colour of wood can range from a light reddish-brown to a nearly black hue. As wood ages, its bark transforms into a dark grey colour and develops long, vertical crevices.

Leaves

The evergreen tree’s leaves have a narrow elliptic to oblong shape and can remain on the tree until new leaves grow. They are simple and can range from 3.5 to 19 cm in length and 1.5 to 7.5 cm in width. Leaves cluster at the end of branches. New leaves are thin, translucent, and have a reddish hue, adding a splash of colour to young plants. Mature leaves are dark green and glossy on top, with a lighter shade of green underneath. They are thick and leathery and may turn yellow in autumn. Delicate veins are more visible below the leaves, and the vein pattern is best seen when viewed against strong light. The leaves’ base can be rounded, narrow, or tapering, and may be asymmetric. Silky hairs may be present. The short petiole is up to 1 cm long, and there are no stipules.

Uses and Benefits of Jackalberry

The different parts of this plant have various medicinal uses, including treating fever, pneumonia, dysentery, syphilis, leprosy, yaws, menstrual cramps, diarrhoea, headaches, arthritis, gingivitis, toothache, cuts, wounds, ear infections, stomach pains, skin sores and ulcers.

The leaves of the plant have astringent, febrifuge, haemostatic, mildly laxative, stimulant, and vermifuge properties. They can be used internally to treat menorrhoea and dysenteriform diarrhoea, and externally, they can be used to alleviate headaches, arthritis, and skin problems. The leaves and fruit can be chewed or used as an infusion to treat gingivitis and toothache, as well as applied as a dressing for cuts and wounds to prevent infection. The sap from the plant can be instilled into the ear to treat otitis.

The bark of the plant is used to treat stomach aches, cough, bronchial diseases, tuberculosis, syphilis, and leprosy. It can also be applied externally to wounds, ulcers, bruises, and furuncles. The bark is also used as a vermifuge in veterinary medicine.

The roots of the plant can be roasted and pulverized to treat jaundice and root decoctions can be used as an anthelmintic, to ease childbirth, and to treat malaria, pneumonia, and syphilis.

Leaf decoctions or infusions can be taken to treat fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, trypanosomiasis, menorrhagia, whooping cough, hiccough, and poisoning. Leaf preparations can also be applied externally to antiseptic wounds, yaws, and furuncles.

Various parts of the plant are also used in ritual ceremonies.

Watch this video for a more practical example of how to use the plant