Peltophorum africanum
The Weeping Wattle gets its intriguing name from spittle bugs, sap-sucking insects, that live in large numbers on its branches and excrete substantial quantities of almost pure water that continuously drip from the tree as if it is crying, especially in spring.
A semi-deciduous and rather untidy tree that can grow up to 15m high, the Weeping Wattle has a wide range of uses, from being fodder for livestock and popular with honey farmers to being used for furniture manufacturing and as an ingredient in traditional medicine.
Weeping Wattles grow in savanna-associations, often in sandy soils, and in South Africa occurs in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West.
Weeping Wattle
Weeping Wattle
Weeping Wattle
Weeping Wattle blooms being eaten by a Gleaming Fruit Chafer beetle
Weeping Wattle blooms
Weeping Wattle tree in bloom in Satara’s camping area
Weeping Wattle
Weeping Wattle blooms
Rhulani, our guide on the Sweni Trail, explaining why a Weeping Wattle can also be called a “toiletpaper bush”
DeWetsWild 
Lovely. I didn’t know that the weeping part of the name is due to spittle bugs. We have one in our garden and it flowers well. I have never noticed spittle bugs feeding on it as yet.
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I bet your Weeping Wattle is a magnet for many other kinds of insects though, Carol?
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I have noticed pollinators enjoy them in the flowering season.
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Dis ‘n pragtige boom!
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Veral wanneer hulle in blom is, Aletta
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Die Huilboom … wat ‘n beskrywende naam as mens kyk waar dit vandaan kom. Kan nie dink dat ek al een gesien het nie, dankie vir die deel.
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Julle sal aan “ons” kant van die land moet kom kuier om hierdie boom te sien, Corna.
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Ek hou so baie van die bosveldbome. Die blaartjies is lekker sag en ideaal vir toiletpapier. Daar is glo ‘n ander boom wat net so lyk, maar daar is dorinkies onder die blare. Mens moet oppas om dit te verwar… hehe!
Interessante artikel, dankie Dries
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Ek hoop ek voel die dorinkies met my vingers vooraf! 😀 😀
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The tree is lovely, but I really just love the name! “Weeping Wattle” – how fun!
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I love it when things are given such poetic names!
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Very pretty indeed. I haven’t come across any here yet, but will keep a lookout for it.
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I don’t think their natural distribution goes as far south as the Eastern Cape, Anne, but perhaps someone purchased one at the nursery at Skukuza and transported it to Grahamstown?
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The flowers are very pretty.
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To be honest, Lois, I’m not a big fan of yellow, especially on cars. But these I don’t mind at all!
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I’m not a yellow fan either, Dries, but these make the cut for me, too.
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This is a very useful tree to insects and humans alike, plus it has good looking yellow flowers!
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I wouldn’t mind one in my garden, Hien
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