Leucosidea sericea, commonly known as oldwood, is an evergreen tree or large shrub that grows in the highland regions of southern Africa.

The name oldwood may reflect the fact that the wood burns slowly, as if old and rotting; the gnarled, twisted trunks reinforce this impression.

[5] The English common name oldwood is simply a direct translation of the Afrikaans words "ouhout" or "oudehout", meaning the same thing.

The flowers are greenish-yellow in colour, star-shaped, and grow in spikes at the ends of young shoots in spring (August to September).

Zulu people use a paste made from the crushed leaves of L. sericea for treating ophthalmia (an eye ailment).

It has been reported that the leaves of Leucosidea sericea are used medicinally by some indigenous South African people as a vermifuge and astringent.