Discover Kenya’s indigenous trees on Shop Nanjala’s website

A mature Acacia abyssinica subsp. calophylla with an expansive tree canopy (2019). Image, design: author

We are delighted to announce that Shop Nanjala has just launched a new line of products called NATIVE Trees.

For the last twenty years, whenever I visit Kitale, there’s a certain paddock of indigenous trees on my father’s property that captivates me. Its charm has always intrigued me, prompting me to wonder why I find it so appealing.

Let me elaborate.

Stepping into the well-fenced paddock trees brings an overwhelming sense of tranquility. Besides the chirping of birds and buzzing of bees, the atmosphere is serene. A paddock evoking what I personally interpret as Sonia Leretz’s (Vogue, 2023) hush hush beauty concept of ‘quiet luxury’ and as eloquently elaborated here. What’s most delightful is like an excited child, I always find myself going in to search for fruit to pick. Whether I manage to find the local loquat or the matomoko (also known as the custard apple), each harvest is like a gift — adding to the enchantment of this special place.

Quiet luxury is a journey returning to the foundations, to nature and authenticity. It means discretion, calm, and simplicity” — Sonia Leretz (Vogue, 2023)

The Soames Hotel and Jack’s Bar in Nanyuki, Kenya embodies the essence of quiet luxury gardening. From its expansive grassy fields, a serene spring-like pond, and indigenous trees dotting the 100-acre property, complemented by the stunning vistas of Mount Kenya, present a captivating interpretation of classic garden charm. Image: author (2024).

There’s something truly remarkable about that paddock. Every tree there is a native species (or naturalized) of Kenya, having taken years upon years to grow and form what’s essentially a micro-forest. A natural, magical and restorative space that’s been created over time.

You know, I can’t help but feel like we, city dwellers, are losing touch with this kind of charm — the charm of tradition; the charm of old. Back in the day, before technology made everything instant, we had to wait patiently for an avocado or a custard apple tree to finally bear fruit. It’s a reminder of simpler times, when nature dictated the pace, and there was beauty in that waiting game.

An ungrafted custard apple fruit picked straight from the Annona reticulata tree (left) and one still on the tree (right). Image(s): author

Also, as I tasted the fruits, I couldn’t help but notice their incredibly natural, rich, flavoursome sweetness, a quality that seems rare in today’s grafted varieties. It dawned on me that it’s likely because these fruits from indigenous trees took their sweet time to ripen. They’ve been growing undisturbed for years, allowing nature to work its magic slowly but surely. This natural process has imbued them with a unique depth of flavour that’s hard to replicate.

Over time, I’ve come to understand the importance of safeguarding this unique “indigenous charm”. I’m excited about translating it into a distinct line of products that stand out from the rest. Perhaps it’s the reason why the NATIVE Trees collection has become such a passion project for me. I single-handedly went ahead and shot images of every single seedling I could find, and read as many books as I could find on the subject so that I could ensure the product descriptions on the website were true to the species and origin. In a sense, it was my way of sharing the beauty and richness of these heritage trees with others, ensuring that their legacy lives on.

Kigelia africana tree bearing huge ‘sausage-like fruits’ standing at the center of a young maize field. Image: author (2022)

Over the past 2 to 3 weeks, I’ve embarked on a rigorous investigation to identify various types of indigenous Kenyan trees. My quest involved determining their medicinal properties, their appeal to pollinators, their suitability for timber, and whether they bear edible fruit, among other factors. In my research, I owe a debt of gratitude to two exceptional books: “Our Friends the Pollinators: A Handbook of Pollinator Diversity and Conservation in East Africa” by Dino J. Martins, and a compilation by the World Agroforestry Centre titled “Useful Trees and Shrubs for Kenya,” edited by Patrick Maundu and Bo Tengnäs, with illustrations by Nicholas Muema and Ann Birnie. I also would like to express my gratitude to Kenya Forest Service in Karura forest for their knowledge on the subject. These invaluable resources have enabled me to ensure that the product descriptions on the website accurately reflect each tree species, including their common names, uses and concise descriptions of their features, growth from seedling to maturity.

On the webshop, you’ll discover remarkable trees like the coveted Warbugia ugandensis, which is native to East Africa and valued for its potent antimicrobial medicinal properties. Or whether it’s the Brachylaena huillensis valued for its superb wood-carving attributes or the Dovyalis caffra, perfect for live fencing and yielding delicious jams from its fruit, we offer a range of sought-after trees.

A living fence created using Dovyalis caffra, showcasing its fruit and distinctive sharp thorns. Image: author

The branches of a local loquat tree teem with clusters of unripened fruit. Image: author

I want to encourage you to think about adding a native tree (or a few!) from Shop Nanjala to your space. Why? Well, firstly, because all our trees come from local sources. Secondly, we’re big on sustainability — we work closely with local botanists and tree-planting experts to ensure our sourcing practices are environmentally friendly. And perhaps most importantly, planting indigenous trees helps create ecosystems that ‘support habitats, improve farming methods, and restore pollination services’ as noted by Martins (2014).

So, think of it as planting the trees that will shape the future for generations to come!

Thank you very much and I hope you find something you love in our collection.

Naturalized Agave americana (left) and the majestic Nandi flame tree (right). Image(s): author

References

Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria. (2023, November, 28). Victorian State of the Environment 2023 Report: Protecting our paddock trees (Report). Retrieved from https://www.ces.vic.gov.au/soe2023/stories/protecting-our-paddock-trees

du Toit, I. (2023, July 31). Quiet luxury all you need to know about the 2023 trend [Article]. The Drum Network. Retrieve from https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2023/07/31/quiet-luxury-all-you-need-know-about-the-2023-trend

Martins, D.J. (2014). Our friends the pollinators: A handbook of pollinator diversity and conservation in East Africa. Nature Kenya, the East Africa Natural History Society, Nairobi, Kenya, 102 pp. ISBN-9966–761–22–5

Maundu, P., Tengnäs, B. (eds). (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya. Technical handbook №35. Nairobi, Kenya. World Agroforestry Centre — Eastern and Central Africa Regional Programme (ICRAF-ECA).

Somerville, M. (2023, August 8). All the ways in which quiet luxury has infiltrated the beauty world [Article]. Vogue. Retrieved from https://en.vogue.me/beauty/quiet-luxury-beauty-skincare-makeup/

Notes

All the photographs within the sub-category NATIVE Trees were captured using the iPhone 12 Pro Max, then edited using VSCO and resized using Adobe Photoshop by the author.

All plants/trees are sourced and sold within Kenya.