White Milkwood (Sideroxylon inerme) is commonly found in dune forests, almost always in coastal woodlands and also in littoral forests. It also occurs further inland in Zimbabwe and Gauteng. The genus name is derived from the Greek sideros meaning iron, and xulon meaning wood, referring to the hard wood.
There are three individual trees in South Africa that have been declared as national monuments. These are:
The Post Office Tree in Mossel bay. In the 16th century, a Portuguese navigator left a letter in a shoe which he hung from the branches of the tree. This letter contained information on the drowning of the explorer, Bartholomew Diaz. It was collected a year later by Commander Da Nova, and for centuries afterwards, served as a post office for seaman.
The Treaty Tree is growing in Woodstock, Cape town. It was under this tree that the commander of local defences formally handed over the Cape to the British after the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1806.
The Fingo Milkwood grows near Peddie in the Eastern Cape. It shows the location where the Fingo people affirmed their loyalty to God and the British King because they were led to safety by English soldiers when being pursued by Chief Hintza and his warriors.
Bark and roots have medicinal value and are used to cure broken bones, to treat fevers, to dispel bad dreams, and to treat gall sickness in stock.
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