Amarula remembers Marula trees on Arbour Day

These wild, uncultivated trees, which grow naturally in sub-equatorial regions, are unique specimens with a long cultural heritage and provenance that deserves to be protected and heralded.

The Marula tree (Sclerocarya Birrea), known in African tales as The Marriage Tree, is sacred to many tribes on the African continent. It is from this tree and its unique fruit that Amarula is produced. The marula fruit is also coveted by elephants.

This medium- to large-sized deciduous tree with an erect trunk and rounded crown is characterised by a grey mottled bark and its medicinal qualities. Growing up to 18 metres tall, mostly in low altitudes and open woodlands, this African legend is highly protected and prized by the local population.

Only the female Marula tree bears the succulent and rare fruit, which ripens at the height of the African summer, filling the air with an intense tropical fragrance.

Tribal uses

Tribal tradition has it that a woman is more likely to become pregnant after eating Marula fruit, whilst the powdered bark is used to treat pregnant women to determine the gender of an unborn baby. If a pregnant woman wishes to have a girl, she will take a preparation from the female tree and for a boy she will use the male tree. Traditional healers use the hard central nut in their divining dice and the tree is often regarded as the spiritual centre for local villagers who gather under its shade-bearing boughs.

Conservation takes centre stage

With the desertification of Africa happening at an ever-increasing rate, the conservation of these trees takes centre stage during Arbour Day celebrations for the Amarula team as it is important to reflect on how vital these trees are to the local communities who derive an income from its fruit. Amarula is, therefore, proactive in its approach to sustaining the symbiotic relationship that already exists, to ensure the exploitation of this species is not a reality. This is done through CSI projects with the local community, contributing to social development as well as looking into conscious conservation for the surrounding areas where the Marula trees grow.