The glossy red berries of the Solanum giganteum provide satisfaction for birds during the winter months when conditions can be harsh.
In our garden, Cape White-eyes forage for the berries rapidly, often hanging upside down to gain better access to the fruit, flitting from branch to branch, often partially obscured by branches and foliage. I found satisfaction in taking this photo, despite the difficult light, of a White-eye satisfying its hunger feasting one winter’s morning in our garden. The berries are also favoured by the Dark-capped Bulbul.
The Solanum giganteum is widely distributed across much of Africa south of the Sahara, and also occurs naturally in parts of southern India and Sri Lanka. Unlike other plants in the Solanum family (which includes potatoes, tomatoes and deadly nightshade) no part of the plant has been found to be poisonous.
One of its many common names is Healing–leaf Tree. The woolly under side of the leaf is used in traditional medicine for cleaning wounds, and the smooth upper side for healing wounds. Juice from the berries and the leaves is also used in healing ointments. In some parts of southern Africa the berries are used to treat throat ulcers. The plant also provides ingredients in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition, the fruit is used to curdle milk.
The plant is deciduous and can grow to a height of 2 to 5 metres. The branches are spiny and its late-summer-to-early-autumn flowers are pale purple. The Solanum giganteum is not to be confused with the yellow-berried South American Solanum mauritianum, known as the Bugweed in South Africa where it is highly invasive.
Also bringing me satisfaction is knowing that this small tree bears crimson-berried cheer and fruitfulness from Ethiopia and Cameroon down to the Cape, as well as in India and Sri Lanka on the other side of the ocean.
This is my response to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme ‘Satisfaction’. Images from other bloggers on this theme can be found here
Source: PlantZAfrica. Solanum giganteum. (SANBI: Biodiversity for life). http://pza.sanbi.org/solanum-giganteum
Posted by Carol
July 31, 2017 at 1:48 am
Beautiful photo!
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July 31, 2017 at 6:13 am
Thank you Eliza.
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July 30, 2017 at 6:10 pm
Well that shot is as close to perfect as it gets. Composition is lovely, colors vibrant, nature at its best. Well done!!
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July 30, 2017 at 7:04 pm
Thanks so much Tina for the lovely compliment. I was battling a bit with the high contrast in light, so was lucky that the berries have a rich dark colour.
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July 28, 2017 at 9:07 am
It’s a luscious picture … those berries surely irristible to the white eyes and your written post is a jewel … quite the trove of fascinating information.
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July 28, 2017 at 5:28 pm
Thanks so much Osyth. The berries are so vivid they look like something concocted in a fairy tale, and good to know they are entirely benign. We went for a walk today in a private game reserve following samango monkeys in a remnant of ancient forest and it was lovely to see many of these solanums glowing with red berries on the forest margins.
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July 28, 2017 at 6:38 am
A lovely post …. which also made me smile as I put together my summer satisfaction post …
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July 28, 2017 at 5:20 pm
Thanks Margaret. Another coincidence even though opposite seasons. I look forward to seeing your post 🙂
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July 28, 2017 at 1:56 am
It’s so difficult to get these little guys to sit still for a photo – you’ve done brilliantly!
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July 28, 2017 at 5:19 pm
You are so right. They are always so busy and on the move. Luckily this one paused for a moment when it seized the berry. Thanks very much.
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July 28, 2017 at 12:00 am
So beautiful!
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July 28, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Thanks Roda.
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July 27, 2017 at 8:28 pm
What a perfect composition. Miss my Nairobi garden white eyes.
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July 28, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Thanks so much Tish. White-eyes are so endearing and constantly on the move!
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July 27, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Wonderful capture.
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July 28, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Thanks so much Irene.
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July 27, 2017 at 6:37 pm
Beautiful picture.
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July 28, 2017 at 5:13 pm
Thanks very much.
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