Osyris compressa, previously known as Colpoon compressum is a very decorative and useful plant in cultivation as well as in its natural habitat. It is a hemiparasitic plant, in other words a plant that is capable of producing its own food (photosythesis) as well as utilizing nourishment from a suitable host plant by means of parasitism. The fruit are also edible! This together with some other interesting features makes the Cape sumach a highly successful species in the Cape Floristic Region and in other vegetation types. Osyris compressa is classified as a shrub although it can attain the size of a small bushy tree of 1-5 m in height. It is a partial parasite on the roots of plants. The flowers and fruits are produced erratically throughout the year, but mainly from April to December. Fruits don’t ripen all at once which is why these plants can be very attractive for long periods throughout the year. The yellowish green, scented flowers attract insectivorous pollinators ranging from bees, butterflies, flies and ants. The fresh leaves of Osyris compressa were used to tan leather a light brown colour, while the bark was used to tan leather dark brown. A layer of crushed leaves or bark, depending on colour preference, was put into the bottom of a trough, and the hide, with hair removed, was placed on top of the plant material. Successive layers of plant material and hides were made, and the wet mass was pressed flat with weights and left to tan for two weeks before removing and drying. A decoction of fresh leaves was used to tan cotton, fishing lines and nets to make them more durable in the days before nylon. The fruits are edible and were an important food of the early inhabitants of the Cape. The stones were removed and the fleshy part compressed and stored for lean times.