Cussonia is a genus of plants of the family Araliaceae, which is native to the Afrotropics. It originated in Africa and has its center of distribution in South Africa and the Mascarene Islands. Due to their striking habit, they are a conspicuous and easily recognizable group of plants. Their genus name commemorates the botanist Pierre Cusson. They are squat to lanky shrubs and trees with a palm-like habit. Their stems and underground parts are succulent, and their bark is often corky. These plants are best grown from seed. These plants can handle an occasional and mild frost, but a chill will make the leaves fall off.

Cussonia paniculata is an evergreen tree that makes a beautiful focal point in a garden as it has an unusual shape, interesting gnarled bark and stunning, large, grey-green leaves. Plants show up especially well in a rockery. Gardeners growing indigenous South African plants favour them greatly for their unique appearance. One can grow Cussonia paniculata from a cutting, but this is not advisable because it does not make the proper, fleshy, underground rootstock that it forms when grown from seed.