In a land commonly held to be the ‘cradle of humankind’ grows the venerable Marula tree. Steeped in legend and tradition, this wild tree is revered by African tribes as the marriage tree under whose fertile branches many an African princess has been married.

Indigenous to sub-equatorial Africa. these wild, uncultivated, unique trees, with their erect trunks and rounded crowns are characterized by grey mottled bark and their medicinal qualities.

Only the female Marula tree bears the succulent and rare flavoured fruit which ripens at the height of the African summer, filling the air with an intense tropical fragrance. Tribal tradition has it that a woman is more likely to become pregnant after eating Marula fruit and powdered bark is used to determine the gender.

The tree is often regarded as the spiritual centre for local villagers who gather under its shade-bearing boughs. With the desertification of Africa happening at an ever increasing rate, the conservation of these trees takes centre stage and on how vital these trees are to the local communities who derive an income from its fruit.