Plants of Uganda: The Complete List

Uganda’s mix of montane forests, wetlands and savanna supports a surprising variety of plant life that shapes landscapes, cultures and local economies. From roadside herbs to large canopy trees, the flora is a practical guide to where you are and what grows there.

There are 59 Plants of Uganda, ranging from African baobab to Zebra grass. For each species, entries are organized by Scientific name,Plant type,Habitat; you’ll find below.

Which plants on the list are native versus introduced?

The list includes both native and introduced species; check the Habitat notes and Scientific name to spot endemics or widespread exotics. For conservation status or origin, cross-reference with national records or the IUCN and consult local herbaria or field guides.

How can I use this list for field identification or research?

Use Plant type and Habitat first to narrow possibilities, then match photos and local descriptions to the Scientific name. For research, export names to herbarium databases or biodiversity tools, record GPS locations, and verify identifications with specimens or expert confirmation.

Plants of Uganda

Images and Descriptions

Fever tree

Iconic yellow-barked tree often on wet ground; grows up to 20–25 m. Common along lakes and rivers, provides shade, fuelwood and habitat for birds; easily recognized and culturally important across Uganda.

Sausage tree

Large tree with hanging sausage-like fruits and showy red flowers; attracts bats and pollinators. Fruits eaten locally after processing; used medicinally and as a striking roadside or park tree.

Papyrus

Tall sedge forming dense reedbeds on shallow water. Historically used for papermaking and mats; crucial for wetland ecology, fisheries and birdlife, especially around lakes and river deltas.

Raffia palm

Large fan-leaved palm with long leaflets used for weaving, thatch and ropes. Forms distinctive swamp groves; economically and culturally valuable to lakeside communities.

Sycamore fig

Large fig with broad canopy and edible figs that feed wildlife and people. Important shade and cultural tree, often found near settlements and watercourses.

Strangler fig

Versatile fig that begins life as an epiphyte, often becoming a massive spreading tree. Provides year-round figs for animals, used for fodder and traditional medicine.

African baobab

Massive, bottle-shaped tree up to many metres wide. Iconic for water storage, edible fruit and cultural uses; scattered survivors in drier regions, often centuries old.

African cherry

Tall evergreen harvested for medicinal bark treating prostate ailments; populations have declined from overharvesting, making it a species of conservation concern in Uganda’s high forests.

Mountain redwood

Distinctive montane tree with pinnate leaves and drooping flower clusters. Historically used for timber and traditional medicine; characteristic of higher-elevation forest zones.

Iroko

Large canopy tree valued for durable timber often used as a mahogany substitute. Found in lowland forests; important for timber but facing logging pressure in parts of Uganda.

Musizi

Fast-growing pioneer tree that colonizes disturbed forest and plantations; commonly used for timber and shade but considered invasive in some natural forests, altering regeneration.

Coral tree

Striking tree with bright red flowers and thorny branches, often used as a living fence. Flowers attract pollinators; roots and bark used in traditional remedies.

Desert date

Drought-tolerant tree with oily edible fruits and thorny branches. Important for pastoralists as fodder and food source; valued for resilience in arid landscapes.

Mango

Widely cultivated fruit tree that has naturalized in many areas. Provides abundant fruit, shade and timber; a common feature of village and urban gardens.

Guava

Introduced fruit shrub now widespread and often naturalized. Produces sweet fruits eaten fresh or processed; common in home gardens and as a weedy species in disturbed sites.

Cordia

Medium to large shade tree with white flowers and edible fruits for wildlife. Valued for timber and traditional uses; often found near streams and homesteads.

Mugavu

Fast-growing acacia-like tree with spreading crown used for shade, fodder and timber. Common in agroforestry and as a roadside tree.

Babul

Tough thorny tree tolerating flooded soils; provides fuelwood, gum and livestock fodder. Common along rivers and in floodplain woodlands.

Lantana

Invasive flowering shrub with fragrant clusters of colorful flowers. Invades disturbed areas, reducing biodiversity and hindering pasture, yet used ornamentally and having some medicinal uses.

Blue gum

Fast-growing plantation tree widely used for timber, poles and fuelwood. Often naturalizes along plantations and road verges; important in forestry but can alter water balance.

Robusta coffee

Commercial coffee species grown widely in Uganda; important cash crop. Wild or feral populations occur near farms; provides economic backbone to many rural communities.

Giant lobelia

Tall rosette plant forming dramatic towers in high-altitude moorlands. Iconic of Uganda’s mountains and important in alpine ecology; a must-see for high-altitude visitors.

Podocarp

Slow-growing evergreen coniferous tree of moist upland forests. Valued for dense timber and as part of diverse montane forest communities.

Uganda greenheart

Aromatic medicinal tree used to treat infections; bark and leaves are harvested for traditional medicine. Habitat loss threatens local populations.

Waterberry

Glossy-leaved tree with edible fruit and attractive flowers. Common along waterways, used for shade, timber and fruit in local diets.

Wild custard-apple

Small aromatic shrub producing edible, custard-like fruits enjoyed locally. Useful in agroforestry and traditional medicine, common in open landscapes.

Wild date palm

Clumping palm with edible dates and strong leaf fibers used for weaving. Common in riparian zones and culturally important in lakeside communities.

Nile trumpet

Attractive flowering tree with yellow trumpets, often planted as a street tree. Grows quickly, provides shade and nectar for pollinators.

Popcorn cassia

Fragrant yellow-flowered shrub used as ornamental and green manure. Easily naturalized, with traditional medicinal uses and nitrogen-fixing benefits.

Camel’s foot

Fine-textured tree with distinctive compound leaves and small pods. Provides fodder, fuelwood and traditional remedies; common in drier woodlands.

Velvet bushwillow

Multi-stemmed shrub with fuzzy leaves and winged seeds. Common in open country, used for charcoal, livestock browse and traditional medicine.

Terminalia

Medium tree with distinctive layered crown, used for timber and traditional remedies. Common in drier east and north regions.

Doum palm

Branching palm producing edible fibrous fruit and strong leaf fibers used for weaving. Adapted to drier habitats and important for rural livelihoods.

African mahogany

Large, valuable timber tree related to mahogany. Planted and occasionally naturally regenerating; prized for high-quality furniture wood.

African tulip tree

Showy orange-red flowering ornamental tree, widely planted and sometimes naturalized. Attractive to birds and bees but can be weedy in disturbed habitats.

Paperbark acacia

Acacia with flaky bark and broad crown, used for shade, fodder and fuel. Common across savanna landscapes and useful for traditional livestock systems.

Black plum

Fruit-bearing tree with edible plums popular locally. Provides shade, timber and food; valued in agroforestry and wild food systems.

Siam weed

Highly invasive shrub with fragrant white-pink flowers that smother native vegetation. Major threat to forest regeneration and pasture, prompting control efforts.

Moringa

Fast-growing multipurpose tree with highly nutritious leaves and seeds used for food, medicine and water purification. Widely planted and sometimes naturalized near homesteads.

Napier grass

Tall tropical grass widely used as fodder for livestock. Often planted along boundaries and can naturalize; crucial for dairy and livestock systems.

Mexican sunflower

Fast-growing ornamental and green-manure shrub that readily naturalizes. Used for soil improvement and fodder but can become invasive in disturbed areas.

African locustbean? [excluded]

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Mangrove? [excluded]

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Red stinkwood

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African violet? [excluded]

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Sisal

Stiff-leaved plant grown commercially; fibers used for ropes and mats. In Uganda it’s cultivated in drier regions and sometimes escapes along roadsides.

Sausage tree (alternate)

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Blue-leaved croton? [excluded]

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Croton

Fast-growing tree used in agroforestry and as a shade tree for coffee; seeds yield oil and it’s commonly planted on farms.

Wild fig (cluster)

Multiple native fig species dominate riparian forests and support year-round wildlife with abundant figs; culturally significant and critical for forest ecology.

Afromontane heath

Heathland shrubs forming montane ericaceous zones above forest, providing unique high-altitude habitat and striking floral displays in Uganda’s mountain ranges.

African blackwood

Dense hardwood used for musical instruments and fine carving. Scarcity from overexploitation makes it valuable; occurs in drier regions.

Senna italica

Small shrubby legume with yellow flowers often used in traditional medicine and as a restorative species in disturbed areas.

Tamarind

Introduced fruit tree producing sour-sweet pods used in cooking and medicine. Often escapes cultivation and naturalizes near settlements.

Blackjack

Common annual weed with tiny barbed seeds; edible leaves used as a leafy vegetable and in traditional remedies.

Marula

Fruit-bearing tree producing nutritious fruits used fresh, fermented and for oil. Important for wildlife and rural livelihoods in drier zones.

Zebra grass

Native perennial tussock grass important for pasture and soil stabilization in upland and savanna areas.

Olive (African)

Wild olive subspecies forming part of montane and upland woodlands. Provides fruit for wildlife, durable timber and traditional uses.

Honey bush

Scented flowering tree producing edible fruit and nectar-rich flowers; common along waterways and used for local timber and medicine.

Plants in Other Countries