APOCYNACEAE

Adenium multiflorum

Impala Lily

Trees & Shrubs

Local Context

Planted specimens are common near houses, but there are also a few wild plants ones in rocky areas of the estate.

Identification

Growth: Succulent shrub or small tree (0.5–3.5 m tall) with a thick, swollen, carrot-like root (up to 1 m wide) and poisonous white milky sap.
Flowers: White, pale pink, or red, often with crinkled edges and deep pink to scarlet margins, arranged in small clusters; the throat is often striped with red; flowers usually appear before the leaves.
Leaves: Smooth, egg-shaped to oblong (usually 7–12 cm long), appearing after the flowering season and mostly hairless.
Texture: Leaves are smooth; the flower stalks and outer flower parts are often covered in dense, soft hairs.
Fruit: Long, cylindrical pale grey or brown pods (7–18 cm long) containing seeds topped with tufts of dirty white or light brown hair.

Did You Know?

The interaction between the Impala Lily and the Oleander Hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii) is a classic evolutionary "arms race." To deter herbivores, the lily produces a heart-stopping, toxic sap; however, the hawkmoth caterpillar has developed a clever workaround. Instead of being poisoned, it consumes the leaves and sequesters the toxins within its own body. This chemical storage, paired with vivid "eye-spots" that mimic a larger predator, makes the caterpillar a dangerous meal for birds. By adulthood, the moth has successfully repurposed the plant’s deadly defense into its own biological security system.

Back to List