The Searsia lancia is a single-stemmed, low branching tree which has a dense, soft, round canopy. The karee has a coarse-textured bark and on older specimens it is dark grey or brown in colour, while on young branches and trees it is a reddish-brown colour. The leaves are trifoliate (a compound leaf with three leaflets), possessing narrowly lanceolate (lance-shaped) leaflets. The leaves are dark green above and paler green below. They do not have any hairs, and the margins of the leaves are entire. The leaves are leathery and are often sickle-shaped.

The karee occurs naturally along drainage lines, rivers and streams. It is often found growing on lime-rich substrates. The karee occurs from Zambia in the north to the Western Cape in the south. It is found throughout the Free State and in parts of all the other provinces of South Africa except for KwaZulu-Natal.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Spring