Wanza
Cordia africana
A classic coffee shade tree with sweet little yellow fruit and white flowers that bees love.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 40 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: May to June
From: Ethiopia and East Africa
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife.
Native to: African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Wanza is one of the trees Ethiopian farmers have long kept over their coffee, along with its cousins in the forest garden. Its light timber makes furniture and beehives, and its flowers feed the bees whose honey becomes tej.
Planting
Full sun when young, in deep, well-drained soil; plant at the start of the rains, well away from buildings. It grows fast and casts a light, dappled shade.
Growing
Water through the first dry season, then leave it be. Lift the lower branches over the years so coffee and crops get light beneath.
Harvest and use
The small yellow-orange fruits are sweet and sticky, eaten fresh by children and birds alike. Leaves are used as fodder and to wrap bread.
What to watch for
Termites in very dry spells; otherwise few problems in its home range.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home