Popular on coffee and banana plantations for its excellent shade, the Bridella micrantha grows at unbelievable speeds—up to 2 metres a year for a total of 20 metres at full maturity. As the host for the wild silkworm in East and West Africa, this tree, also known by its Kikuyu name Mukoigo, is often cultivated for wood and fodder. The hard, termite-resistant wood can be used to build huts, granaries, beams, or fence posts. The fruit can be harvested to be used in a dye. The Bridelia micrantha also has a plethora of medicinal uses. For example, a bark decoction can treat stomachache, tapeworm, and diarrhea. Additionally, the root may treat headache, epigastric pain, or coughs.

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The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.

Leviticus 25:1-5