Pink Ivory (Berchemia zeyheri) occurs naturally from Zimbabwe in the north to the Eastern Cape in the south.
The heartwood is a beautiful pinkish-red, hard and fine textured. Furniture made from this tree is very strong, durable, and takes paint and varnish well. The wood is also good for making wooden bows, walking sticks, small boxes and curios.
It is believed that in KwaZulu-Natal, the tree was known as the royal tree because only chiefs were allowed to carry knob-kerries (a stick with a rounded knob on one end) made from it.
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