The secret of Leadwood

The Mystery of the Ancestral Tree

When you visit our lodge you will definitely be amazed by the wonderful looking wood that you will find in some of the rooms, e.g. as a tables, bedside tables, shelfs or outside as handrails and stairs.

This is the wood of the ancestral or leadwood tree, the largest species of bush willows in southern Africa. (Combretum imberb, Afrikaans: hardekool, Sotho: mohwelere-tšhipi, Tsonga: motswiri/mondzo, Zulu: impondondlovu)

It has a spreading, rather sparse, rounded to slightly umbrella-shaped crown. The small, grey-green leaves are borne on spiny, thin branches. The branches and leaves are hairless. It grows up to approx. 20 m high and the trunk can reach a diameter of up to 1.5 m. The characteristic bark is pale to dark gray and deeply fissured in the longitudinal direction. It reminds a little of crocodile skin. The wood is very hard and heavy, as the colloquial name suggests.

The Hereros and Ovambos of Namibia attach a special cultural and religious significance to the tree, as for them it is the great ancestor of all animals and humans. Kruger Eden Lodge is proud of the presence of ancestral trees on our property, which we treat with respect and even leave dead trees in the place where they lived their lives.

Our wood comes exclusively from settlement fellings in the region. Normally it would be burned in the process. In a small local craft business, however, the wood is saved from this fate and given a second life as a wonderful piece of furniture, which is exclusively and individually made for us with great craftsmanship. With good care, it can last for centuries and thus delight many generations.

But there is another mystery of the ancestral tree, related to its wood. The stored heartwood is unsightly grey. However, if you oil and polish it, it turns a wonderful dark brown. On colder days the special oil must be heated up as to be seen on the photo. Particularly beautiful are the yellow edges of the outer layers that border the brown heartwood and even show up in some places on the furniture.