Few trees have such a fitting name as does the Shepherd Tree. Both the Latin species name Boscia albitrunca and the Afrikaans name Witgatboom refer to the conspicuous white trunk. The English name also aptly describes this tree whose green canopy often stands out in the arid environments in which it thrives. The particular subspecies found in our region is known as the Karoo Shepherd Tree, or Boscia oleoides.

Boscia oleoides prefers well-drained, sandy or rocky soils and is widespread in dry, open woodland and bushveld. It is of small to medium height (2-8 metres), but seldom grows higher than 4 metres in the Karoo. Because its leaves are protein-rich, nutritious and palatable to many antelope as well as giraffe, Shepherd Trees often show a clear umbrella-like browse-line.

In times gone by the root was pounded to make porridge and was commonly used as a chicory-type substitute for coffee. It was also used to make a kind of beer. An infusion of the leaves was used to treat eye infections in cattle. The fruits are used in traditional dishes and the flower buds as caper substitutes in pickles, whilst household utensils were once made from the wood.

A specimen once found in the Kalahari region had roots extending 68 metres deep! Imagine that for a tree that would have been only about 8 metres tall…

Samara is home to some very old Shepherd Trees, including one that has been aged at 800 years and counting.