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Cussonia arenicola (Sand Cabbage Tree) A small to medium sized shrub growing to 3 to 5 feet tall with a single or few trunks rising from thick basal root or rhizome, which is a typical feature of plants often called caudiciforms that are sought out by succulent collectors. From these stems arise an annual flush of dark green digitately compound leaves (similar to palmately compound) but with varying length leaflets and wings - so unique are the leaves of such Cussonia that the term vertebrate has been used to describe the leaves of this species and those ofCussonia spicata. The 4 to 7 or more 6-inch-long leaflets are held on petioles up to 10 inches long with older leaves dropping off, leaving only those leaves at the stem tips. Leaves are often not produced in years when flowering occurs with the many dense spike like racemes produced at the stem tips of reddish buds that open as greenish flowers and are followed by small round fruit.
Plant in full coastal sun to light shade in a well-drained soil and water occasionally in warmer months. Hardy to around 28°F with some overhead protection but dislikes wet cold conditions so some winter protection from moisture would keep it happier.
This unique plant comes from coastal sand dunes and on sandy soils in open low lying woodlands inland in northern Natal and southern Mozambique. The genus was named by Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), the Swedish naturalist often called "the father of South African botany" to honor Pierre (anglicized as Peter) Cusson (1727-1783), a French botanist who specialized in the celery, carrot or parsley family, the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae. The specific epithet is the combination of the Latin words 'areni' (or 'arena' meaning "sand" and 'cola' meaning "an inhabitant" in reference to this plant coming from sandy soils and dunes. We first got this plant from Stockton succulent collector Alice Waidhofer in 2005.
The information displayed on this page about Cussonia arenicola is based on the research we conducted about it in our nursery horticultural library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include some of our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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