Buffalo Thorn

Ziziphus mucronata, the buffalo thorn, is a deciduous tree of the buckthorn family, native to southern Africa, that may grow up to 17 metres tall. It occurs in many habitats, mostly open woodlands, and frequently on termite mounds. Its Zulu name, umLahlankosi, means that which buries the chief, because the Zulus historically planted a buffalo thorn on a deceased chief's grave. Today a branch is still used to retrieve the spirit of a person who has died: a family member carries the branch to the place of death, which the spirit can hold onto, and takes it back to the homestead, where the spirit is given a new resting place. By Zulu belief, a person standing under the tree in a lightning storm is protected, and cutting it down in summer brings drought or hail. A branch is dragged around a village to keep evil spirits away. Medicinally, a root blend is a painkiller and for dysentery, bark and leaves are used for respiratory ailments and skin sepsis, and the leaves are edible.