| Summary: | <i>Burkea africana</i> is a leguminous tree used for medicinal purposes, growing in clusters, on soils impoverished from most nutrients. The study aimed to determine the factors responsible for successful reproduction and establishment of the <i>B. africana</i> trees in nature, as all efforts for commercial production has been proven unsuccessful. An investigation was carried out to determine the metabolomic profile, chemical composition, and microbial composition of the soils where <i>B. africana</i> grows (<i>Burkea</i> soil) versus the soil where it does not grow (non-<i>Burkea</i> soil). <sup>1</sup>H-NMR metabolomic analysis showed different metabolites in the respective soils. Trehalose and betaine, as well as a choline-like and carnitine-like compound, were found to be in higher concentration in <i>Burkea</i> soils, whereas, acetate, lactate, and formate were concentrated in non-<i>Burkea</i> soils. Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of numerous amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamine to be higher in <i>Burkea</i> soils. Since it was previously suggested that the soil microbial diversity is the major driver for establishment and survival of seedlings in nature, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted and a BLAST analysis conducted for species identification. <i>Penicillium</i> species was found to be highly prevalent and discriminant between the two soils, associated with the <i>Burkea</i> soils. No differences in the bacterial composition of <i>Burkea</i> and non-<i>Burkea</i> soils were observed. The variances in fungal composition suggests that species supremacy play a role in development of <i>B. africana</i> trees and is responsible for creating a supporting environment for natural establishment and survival of seedlings.
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