Ever seen that film where elephants eat the fallen fruit of the Marula tree, then stagger about and fall down drunk? Somewhat exaggerated, but game do eat the highly-scented, fermenting fruit and suffer some degree of intoxication. Maybe this gave the Matabele people ideas for their ‘skokiaan' (home brew). About 100 fruit will produce a "pinta", and with an annual yield of up to five tonnes per tree much happiness may be had.

The Tonga people pour non-alcoholic, fresh marula juice over the graves of dead chiefs. Zulus are known to satisfy the outer man's or woman's needs with a skin cream made from the protein-rich oil obtained by crushing the stones of the fruit. These nuts are also eaten, raw or cooked, and used by Shangaan ‘nyangas' (witchdoctors) as divining stones.

Just as prophetically hopeful is the Venda's belief that taking the powdered bark of the male (female) marula tree will induce a pregnant woman to give birth to a male (female) child.

Amongst African tribes a decoction of the bark has been widely used to treat dysentry and diarrhoea and as a prophylactic for malaria. The moist inner bark was creamed for antihistamine use and an essence made from the leaves is said to be effective in treating burns and abscesses.

Early European settlers made a coffee substitute and snuff from marulas. They also used the fruit to create an excellent conserve, a delicious amber-coloured jelly and a good, semi-sweet wine, products still made today. A well-known cream-based liquor is derived from the fruit. All have high nutritious value as the pulp contains several minerals and four times as much vitamin C as orange juice.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the marula has been declared a protected species in South Africa, and is commercially cultivated using improved strains, particularly for the liqueur industry.

At a less sophisticated level is a community project in the Gweta district of Botswana. A dense population of marula trees and some real enterprise has led to villagers developing a processing plant. Here they squeeze the fruit for beverages, transform the pulp into sugared fruit rolls and extract the oil. Leftovers are turned into cattle fodder and briquettes. The profit is used to benefit the three village communities, and could be their economic salvation.

So keep an eye open for this tree. In the bush you may see giraffe, elephant, eland, kudu, waterbuck or warthog using the fruit, leaves and/or bark. In the canopy Meyers parrots could be feeding on the kernels of the green fruit. In many towns the marula has been popular as a shade tree.