Rhus dentata, Nana Berry (English), Nanabessie (Afrikaans) is a medium sized, deciduous tree, reaching a height of about 5 metres and a spread of 4 metres. It occurs naturally in almost the whole of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 except the Western

Western Cape

The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...

 and Northern Cape

Northern Cape

The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...

 Provinces. Its habitat varies from sea level to the highlands of the Drakensberg

Drakensberg

The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...

. It is frost-hardy and should be planted in full sun. The leaves are usually conspicuously toothed (hence the name dentata), though sometimes they may be only slightly toothed. The tree produces small, creamy-white flowers in masses, which turn into small, flattened drupes (5-6mm) which turn red, orange or brown when ripe. The drupes attract birds which feed on them. The foliage is eaten by the larvae of the Pepper Tree Moth Bombycomorpha bifascia

Bombycomorpha bifascia

The Pepper-Tree Caterpillar is a moth of the Lasiocampidae family. It is found in South Africa.The larvae feed on the foliage of Rhus dentata....

.