Conocarpus lancifolious

Conocarpus lancifolius also known as Buttonwood, one of two species in the genus Conocarpus, is a Combretaceae family tree originally from Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen’s coastal and riverine regions. This is present in East Africa, the Arab Peninsula and South Asia. The tree has no common English name. In Somali, it’s known as ghalab; arabs call it damas. It’s popular in urban compounds of Dubai.   Goats likes young trees and fodder, even though the leaves produce tannin. The tree is often introduced as a pioneer species in new forestations in its native habitat because of its high salt tolerance and good drought tolerance.   It can be shaped into short and high hedges and can create a perfect visual or noise buffer. It can also be cultivated as a tough single- plant with the correct planting spaces, which is perfect for shade. The tree has been widely used in Karachi as a high hedge tree for screening purposes for landscape pavement and by homeowners.    The tree flourishes remarkably well in the city’s warm and dry climate.