It is said that Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-‘n-bietjie tree represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag, indicating that life is not always straightforward. Two thorns at the nodes are also significant; one facing backward represents where we come from and one facing forward, represents where we are going. The Buffalo Thorn is a small to medium sized tree, reaching a height of about 10m. 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. The bark is a red-brown (on young stems) or roughly mottled grey which is cracked in small rectangular blocks revealing a stringy red under bark. Many farmers use the buffalo thorn as a natural fence; it is also becoming more popular for this reason in schools and domestic homes. The leaves are edible, and can be cooked into tasty spinach; the fruit are also very nutritional, though not very tasty. During the Anglo-Boer war the stones were roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee. A beer can be made from the fruit. The Buffalo Thorn also has medicinal properties, an extract of the roots is given as a painkiller and a solution of the bark and leaves in water is used for chest complaints. The leaves can be used as an aphrodisiac, either by being chewed or used in dishes.