The Wild Peach tree has a potent energy to assist with putting you in touch with your personal power. This tree fosters courage and confidence, and brings focus and clarity. Like a clear bright light, it shines the way forward. This is essence may help to balance indecision and procrastination. Wild Peach may assist you in accessing the spiritual courage to speak your truth in the face of intimidation or oppression.

This essence enlightens the solar plexus chakra.

Affirmation: I have the courage to create my own reality, to speak my truth and to follow my own path. I trust my inner guidance.

Corresponding Colour: Yellow

Supportive Essence: The Pock Ironwood essence may act as supportive essence to the Wild Peach essence – particularly if the Wild Peach essence is being used to address a long-standing imbalance and an “awareness crisis” has arisen. An awareness crisis is an intensification of negative feelings or old patterns of being. It is the soul’s way of calling our attention to these old blockages that need to be acknowledged, blessed and released.

The Wild Peach
Kiggelaria africana,
Family: FLACOURTIACEAE

Learning about how this tree grows in nature, brings further appreciation for its essence:

The Wild Peach is an evergreen tree occurring over a wide range of habitats – from the Western Cape of South Africa to Kenya in northern Africa. Its growth habit varies accordingly – from a scrubby bush in arid areas to over 20 meters in high forest. Interestingly, the foliage of the Wild Peach is also very variable – and often one can be stumped to identify this tree for a minute or two – until you remember this particular quirk.

The Wild Peach’s delicate orange and green flowers are borne from Spring to Summer and these are followed by pale-green capsules containing black seeds covered with bright-orange, oily coats. The opened seed pods create decorative five-pointed star shapes. The seeds are relished by many bird species – indeed, this is a tree that all serious bird lovers ensure to plant in their garden. The leaves are eagerly eaten by the caterpillars of a number of butterfly species, and they in turn make a tasty meal for various birds such as the Klaas and emerald cuckoo. The larvae of the familiar orange and black-winged butterfly – the Acraea horta – rely largely on the Wild Peach for their diet.

In the past, the pinkish wood was used for the spokes of wagon wheels. Today the wood is used for making rafters, floor boards and furniture. A pink dye is also produced from the wood. Wind-fallen branches are gathered at Platbos and hand-crafted into unique and beautiful pendulums.

Traditionally, the Wild Peach is believed to hold protective powers, and the South Sotho people make a potion from the tree to protect their kraals.

Harvesting of any parts of a tree or plant must always be done in a kind, respectful and sustainable manner, and necessary permits obtained from the relevant authorities. Those purchasing natural plant remedies also have the responsibility to ensure that these products have been sustainably harvested as otherwise they too are contributing to the likely extinction of the plant and other animals in the ecosystem that rely upon it for their survival.

The Wild Peach is a hardy, drought tolerant tree that makes an excellent wind break. It is an extremely fast growing tree that casts dappled shade and it does not have an aggressive root system. There are only a few specimens of Wild Peach still growing within Platbos Forest and the surrounding areas, but amongst those that remain are a number of age-old and majestic characters.