Mountain blue sweetberry

Mountain blue sweetberry (Bridelia cathartica): This is a small shrub or tree that grow up to 4m high and grows in the riverine vegetation of the Zambezi River in the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip). The bark is pale brown to grey and branchlets are brown. The leaves are shiny dark green above and a paler green below. Small, greenish flowers bloom from November to May and the small, edible fleshy fruit turns from wine-red to black when ripe.

Many bird and butterfly species are attracted to this plant and the mountain blue-sweetberry is also used for medicinal purposes.