Kruger National Park
Limpopo · Best Apr to Sep
5 places
Trees & flora
Buffalo Thorn
Ziziphus mucronata
Ziziphus mucronata, known as the buffalo thorn, is a species of tree in the family Rhamnaceae, native to southern Africa.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records5,409 records
Curve from 5,409 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Gauteng and beyond
Provinces where Buffalo Thorn is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
5,412 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Buffalo Thorn
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,400 a night
Hutwini Walking Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Spotted hyena
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Impala · Spotted hyena
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 11,980 a night
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 10,670 a night
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
From R 17,500 a night
Singita Ebony Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Vernon Crookes
Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Blue wildebeest · Plains zebra
From R 480 a night
Weenen
Weenen Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Giraffe · Plains zebra
From R 130 a night
Singita Boulders Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Lion · Leopard
Price on request
Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson Nature Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Forest biome · Plains zebra · Vervet monkey
From R 200 a night
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Mpila Camp
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 1,420 a night
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Aardvark · African elephant
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
Price on request
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park: Hilltop Camp
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
From R 900 a night
Ndumo
Ndumo Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Nile crocodile · Hippopotamus
From R 190 a night
Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Aardvark · Banded mongoose
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Buffalo Thorn recorded here · Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Endangered Wildlife Trust
Price on request
More stays nearby
Coastal Retreat
Benguela Cove, Hermanus
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 14,985 a night
Sasi Bush Lodge
Bergville
Grassland biome
Gives back to Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 2 others
From R 5,400 a night
Pafuri Camp by RETURN Africa
Kruger National Park
Savanna biome · Makalani palm · Ana tree
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 11,820 a night
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West
Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Hazyview
Savanna biome · Leopard · Lion
Gives back to Zululand Conservation Trust and 1 other
From R 22,680 a night
Babylonstoren
Klapmuts, Simondium
Angulate tortoise · Wild olive
Price on request
Franschhoek Country House & Villas
Franschhoek
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 6,195 a night
Welgelegen House by RETURN Africa
Gardens, Cape Town
Fynbos biome · English oak
From R 2,800 a night
The Midlands
Next stop
Rolling green hills, dairy farms, and pottery studios
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Buffalo Thorn
Hosts have recorded the Buffalo Thorn at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
Species
Ziziphus mucronata
Records
5,412
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Buffalo Thorn on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Buffalo Thorn in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Buffalo Thorn at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Welgevonden Game Reserve, Harold Johnson Nature Reserve and Ndumo Game Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Buffalo Thorn in South Africa?
The Buffalo Thorn is most recorded in Gauteng (40% of records), Limpopo (16% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (12% of records), based on 5,412 iNaturalist observations. 16 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Buffalo Thorn on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Buffalo Thorn?
The Buffalo Thorn is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Welgevonden Game Reserve: May-Sep, dry season. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Buffalo Thorn?
Ziziphus mucronata, known as the buffalo thorn, is a species of tree in the family Rhamnaceae, native to southern Africa. It is deciduous and may grow up to 17 metres tall. It can survive in a variety of soil types, occurring in many habitats, mostly open woodlands, often on soils deposited by rivers, and grows frequently on termite mounds.