The karee is a small to medium sized evergreen tree that usually grows to a height of 7 m and a width of 7 m but can be larger depending on environmental factors.

It is usually a single-stemmed, low branching tree which has a dense, soft, round canopy. The karee has a course textured bark and on older specimens it is dark grey or brown in colour while on young branches and trees it is a reddish brown-colour. The leaves are trifoliate (a compound leaf with three leaflets), possessing narrowly lanceolate (lance shaped) leaflets. The leaves are dark green above and paler green below. They do not have any hairs on them and the margins of the leaves are entire. The leaves are leathery and are often sickle shaped.

The small, inconspicuous flowers are presented as much-branched sprays which are greenish-yellow in colour and are produced from June until September. The male and female flowers occur on separate trees. The fruit are small (up to 5mm in diameter), round, slightly flattened and covered with a thin fleshy layer which is glossy and yellowish to brown when ripe. The fruits are produced from September until January.

The word Rhus is probably derived from the Greek word rhodos which means red and possibly refers to the colour of the fruits or autumn leaves of Northern Hemisphere Rhus species. The genus name lancea refers to the lance shaped leaflets.

The karee occurs naturally in Acacia woodland and along drainage lines, rivers and streams. It is often found growing on lime rich substrates. The karee occurs from Zambia in the north to the Western Cape in the south. It is found throughout the Freestate and in parts of all the other provinces of South Africa except for KwaZulu-Natal.

The fruit is eaten by birds such as bulbuls, guineafowl and francolins. Game animals such as kudu, roan antelope and sable browse the leaves of the tree which can serve as an important food source for them in times of drought. The sweetly scented flowers attract bees and other insects to them. Rhus lancea is useful in providing natural soil stabilisation and increasing infiltration of rainwater into the soil thus reducing erosion and raising the ground water table.

The leaves of the karee provide valuable fodder for livestock but can taint the flavour of milk if eaten in large quantities by dairy cattle as a result of the resin contained in them. The tree is also an important source of shade for livestock in certain regions. The bark, twigs and leaves provide tannin. In the past the hard wood was used for fence posts, tool handles and parts of wagons. Bowls, tobacco pipes and bows were also made from the wood. The fruits are edible and were once used as an important ingredient of mead or honey beer. The word karee is said to be the original Khoi word for mead.

Growing Rhus lancea

The karee is an excellent shade tree especially in hot regions such as the Karoo and Kalahari since it is evergreen and drought resistant. Rhus lancea does not have an aggressive root system and can be used near paving and tarred surfaces. Because the karee is hardy, frost resistant and evergreen, it is ideal for establishing a protective canopy for frost sensitive and shade loving plants. It could thus be considered as a possible pioneer plant for establishing a new forest in an area that receives frost. Rhus lancea is suitable for use as a large hedge along the boundaries of properties such as farms because of its dense growth habit. The density of the plant makes it suitable for use as a screen or barrier against wind, noise, objectionable views or to provide privacy. The karee can adapt well to different soils including those that are poorly drained (which means that it can be planted almost anywhere). Rhus lancea is therefore ideally suited for use as a street tree. Aesthetically the karee is a graceful tree possessing a willow-like appearance due to its drooping habit and this makes it suitable for use near water e.g. next to a water garden, dam or river.

Rhus lancea can be propagated easily from seed, cuttings or layers. The ripe seed should be sown in seedling trays using a good seedling medium and transplanted into bigger containers when the seedlings reach the two leaf stage. Cuttings can be taken using young growth from September till October. The tree can grow up to 80 cm a year and is thus fairly fast growing. Because the tree is both drought and frost resistant it does not require any special attention once it has established its root system.

Rhus lancea belongs to the family Anacardiaceae (the Mango family) which is the fourth largest tree family in southern Africa. This family is composed of at least 80 native tree species. Rhus is easy to recognise, as the leaves are all trifoliate and have a resinous smell when crushed. Common edible fruit and seeds that belong to this family include the mango, pistachio nut and cashew nut. The resinous substance is poisonous in many species such as poison ivy.

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