Where to see the Mopane in South Africa

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Mopane at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Mokala National Park and Welgevonden Game Reserve. 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.

The Mopane is most recorded in Limpopo (93% of records), Mpumalanga (7% of records), based on 561 iNaturalist observations. 18 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Mopane on site or nearby.

The Mopane 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; Mapungubwe National Park: May-Sep, dry season; Timbavati Private Nature Reserve: May-Sep, dry season; Mokala National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

Colophospermum mopane, commonly called mopane, mophane, mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree in the legume family (Fabaceae), that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, 200 to 1,150 metres (660 to 3,770 ft) in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum.