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GEKCO Arbour day: A guide to the trees & plants for sale in 2013

A guide to theTrees & Plants for sale in 2013

Introduction: Arbor Day is a holiday where groups of people are encouraged to plant as many trees as possible.

Trees and plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen which gives us the air we breathe and their ability to photosynthesize (Sunlight- Energy) is the energy source of all life. Most animals cannot convert sunlight to energy and thus rely on eating plants and trees to access the energy they need to survive. Carnivores depend on getting their energy from herbivores and are therefore indirectly dependent on trees and plants (and so are we!). Trees also provide shelter for many species while all plants and trees provide shade to protect the soil from drying out in the heat of the sun. Trees and plants drink water from deep underground and release this water into the atmosphere through transpiration; this moisture then condenses to become rain. So in reality trees are the source of all life and thus planting as many as possible is an investment in our futures.

A number of indigenous trees & plants which are perfectly designed to thrive in Johannesburg have been selected. Biodiversity is very important to the success of an ecosystem so plant as many different species as possible, in order to attract the largest range of species to your garden.

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1. Acacia galpinii.........................pg 22. Aloe arborescens....................pg 43. Anisodontea classic serice.......pg 74. Buddleja auriculata.................pg 105. Buddleja saligna..................... pg 126. Buddleja salviifolia................. pg 147. Calpurnia aurea...................... pg 168. Celtis Africana........................ pg 199. Combretum erythrophyllum... pg 2210. Combretum kraussii............... pg 2411. Croton gratissimus................. pg 2612. Dais cotinifolia....................... pg 2813. Dodonaea angustifolia........... pg 3014. Dombeya rotundifolia............ pg 3315. Dovyalis caffra........................ pg 3516. Duvernoia aconitiflora............ pg 3717. Duvernoia adhatodoides........ pg 3818. Ehretia rigida.......................... pg 40

19. Grewia occidentalis................. pg 4320. Halleria lucida......................... pg 4521. Heteropyxis natalensis............ pg 4822. Indigofera jucunda.................. pg 5023. Ilex mitis................................. pg 5324. Kiggelaria Africana.................. pg 5525. Noltea Africana....................... pg 5726. Olea Africana.......................... pg 5827. Peltophorum africanum.......... pg 6028. Plumbago auriculata............... pg 6229. Podocarpus henkelii............... pg 6530. Podocarpus latifolius.............. pg 6831. Podocarpus falcatus................ pg 7232. Searsia lancea......................... pg 7433. Searsia leptodycta.................. pg 7734. Tarchonanthus camphorates... pg 8035. Tecoma capensis..................... pg 8236. Ziziphus mucronata................. pg 8437. References……………………………….pg 89


Acacia galpiniiFamily name: Fabaceae (pod-bearing plant family)

Common names: monkey-thorn (Eng.), Tshikwalo (Tshivenda), apiesdoring (Afr.), Molopa (North Sotho)SA tree number: 166

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This is a large tree with luxuriant, light green foliage, making it ideal for a big garden, avenue or park. It is also valued by farmers.

DescriptionAcacia galpinii is a deciduous tree, losing its leaves during the southern African winter (April-July). It is fast-growing and can reach 25-30 m. Creamy to light yellow flowers appear during the growing season (September-October). Reddish to purplish brown pods ripen during February-March. Acacia galpinii is often confused with Acacia polyacantha from which it can be distinguished by the gland on the leaf stalk: small in A. galpinii and large in A. polyacantha.

DistributionMonkey-thorn grows naturally in open, wooded grassland, open woodland and often near streams. It is indigenous to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, northern and eastern Botswana and South Africa. In South Africa, Acacia galpinii occurs naturally in Limpopo [Northern Province] and the North-West. It is seen as an indicator of sweet veld, which retains its nutritional value in winter.

Name derivation:The name Acacia is derived from the Greek word 'akis', meaning a point or a spike, referring to the thorns in many Acacia species. The South African species are armed with spines. Most of introduced species from Australia are spineless. The species was named in honour of Ernest Galpin (1854-1941), a plant collector. Monkeys like taking cover in its wide branches and may also eat the pods and seeds, hence the common name.

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There are about 1 340 species in this genus of which 954 are indigenous to Australia, 230 to the Americas, 129 to Africa and some species scattered in Asia. This very large, pan-tropical genus occurs mainly in dry country.

Ecology and usesMany insects such as bees and wasps visit the flowers. Ripe fruit pods burst open, releasing the seeds. Seeds are also dispersed by animals eating the pods.

Acacia galpinii is one of the trees that can survive hot and dry conditions. It makes a stunning tree along roads where there is enough space. It is an ideal tree for a big garden. In the wild the plant is grazed and used for shade during the hot summer by different animals including giraffe, kudu and elephant. Many birds often prefer nesting in this tree as it provides protection. It provides dappled shade on hot summer days, making it an ideal tree for planting on a lawn where some sun can penetrate.

Growing Acacia galpinii

Monkey-thorn is easy to propagate from seed that is not parasitized. Like other plants belonging to the Fabaceae, seed of this tree must be soaked in hot water overnight and then sown the next day. Seed must be sown in a seedling tray filled with river sand. To avoid unnecessary moisture loss, the seed can be covered with vermiculite. Seedlings are fairly fast-growing but must be protected from frost probably for the first growing season. Although it is frost-tolerant, severe frost often kills off tender young branches. The tree prefers full sun. Do not plant it too close to buildings as it has extensive roots.

Aloe arborescensFamily: Asphodelaceae (asphodel family)

Common names: krantz aloe (English), kransaalwyn (Afrikaans), ikalene (Xhosa), inkalane or umhlabana (Zulu)

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The krantz aloe is a valuable garden asset, it has large beautiful flowers, attractive foliage, decorative form, and it is easy to grow. It is also a 'must-have' for anyone wanting to stock their herb gardens with indigenous healing plants.

DescriptionThe krantz aloe develops into a multiheaded shrub 2 -3m high with striking grey green leaves arranged in attractive rosettes. The leaf margins are armed with conspicuous pale teeth.

The large colourful flower spikes are borne in profusion during the cold winter months (May-July), brightening up a drab winter garden. Deep orange is the most common colour, but there are also pure yellow forms, and an unusual bi-coloured form of deep orange (almost red) and

yellow. The inflorescence is usually unbranched, with two to several arising from a single rosette. As with all the aloes, the flowers produce nectar and are attractive to many kinds of birds, in particular the small and colourful sunbirds, which flit from flower to flower in search of nectar. The flowers also attract bees.

The species formerly known as Aloe mutabilis is now regarded as a synonym of Aloe arborescens. It is a cliff dwelling form with smaller, less branched rosettes and red & yellow bi-coloured flower spikes and is more evident on the high inland plateau of the northern provinces of South Africa. This cliff dwelling form of Aloe arborescens can be seen hanging from the cliffs alongside the waterfall at the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden.

Although it is in fact a large much-branched shrub, Aloe arborescens has been allocated a national tree number (28.1).

Distribution

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This species is distributed mainly over the eastern, summer rainfall areas of the country. It has the third widest distribution of any aloe, occurring from the Cape Peninsula along the eastern coast, through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo province and further north into Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. It is one of the few aloes that can be found growing at sea level right up to the tops of mountains. The krantz aloe is adapted to many habitats, but is usually found in mountainous areas where it favours exposed ridges and rocky outcrops. It is also found in dense bush.

Derivation of the name & historical aspectsThe name aloe is from the Greek alsos and refers to the bitter juice from the leaves of these plants. It is probably derived from the earlier Arabic word alloeh or the Hebrew word allal, both meaning bitter. The Latin word arborescens means tree-forming or tree-like, and is a bit misleading in that this aloe is not really tree-like, but the name was originally applied to this species in reference to the stem-forming habit. The common name krantz aloe refers to its habitat, a krantz being a rocky ridge or cliff.

Aloe arborescens is one of approximately 130 Aloe species native to southern Africa. It is possibly the most widely cultivated aloe in the world and can be seen grown in gardens in many cities around the world. It was one of the first South African aloes collected and planted in the Company's Garden in Cape Town. It was grown in Amsterdam by Professor Commelin in 1674, and featured in Hort. Amst. 2 in 1701.

Uses and cultural aspectsIn many parts of South Africa Aloe arborescens is planted around kraals (domestic stock enclosures) as a living fence. It often happens that the position of old kraals can still be seen many years after they have been abandoned because the aloes persist. Cuttings intended for use as barrier plants are sold in muthi shops.

The Zulu people use the leaves of this plant, dried and pounded into a powder, as a protection against storms. Decoctions of the leaves are also used in childbirth and in treating sick calves. In the Transkei it is used for stomach ache and given to chickens to prevent them from getting sick. In the Orient, this aloe is grown in domestic gardens as a convenient first-aid treatment for burn wounds and abrasions. In fact it was only after it was used to treat irradiation burn victims of Hiroshima that its healing properties received attention from the West. Extracts from the leaves have been widely investigated since then and shown significant wound healing, anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, hypoglycaemic and also alopoeic activity. The leaves have also been found to have purgative properties and the leaf sap is reported to relieve x-ray burns.

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Growing Aloe arborescens

The krantz aloe is an easy and rewarding plant to grow, and is a popular garden plant in many countries. It enjoys full sun, well-drained, compost-enriched soil and can tolerate moderate frost but is sensitive to severe frost. It is fast-growing, and it will tolerate drought and neglect once established. It is grown mainly as an ornamental or as an accent plant, but is also an excellent and impenetrable hedge plant.

The krantz aloe is easily propagated from a branch or stem cut off, allowed to dry for a day or so until the wound has sealed, and then planted in well-drained soil or sand. They need not be rooted in any particular place and then transplanted, but can be placed directly into their permanent place in the garden. It is important to remember not to water the cuttings too heavily; overwatering may cause them to rot. This aloe can also be grown from seed, sown in spring. Seed should take three to four weeks to germinate, and the seedlings must be protected from frost.

Aloe arborescens hybridises readily with other aloes.

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Anisondontea capensisCommon names: George Mallow, Hairy Mallow. Georgemalva, harige malva, wildestokroos.

Distribution: Anisodontea capensis is part of the fynbos flora of the Cape Province of South Africa.

Habitat: Anisodontea capensis is found on the arid upper slopes of hills.

Identification: Among mallows commonly grown Anisodontea capensis is only likely to be confused with its near relative A. scabrosa and their hybrid A. ×hypomadarum. A. capensis and A. ×hypomadarum are confused in horticulture, both plants being met with under either name. I understand that A. ×hypomadarum has markedly larger flowers.

Technical Description

Erect, branched, perennial subshrub, to 100-180cm, hispid on most parts. Stems branched, green, or purplish-reddish-brown, aging to a greyish-brown, hispid with simple hairs, to about 0.75 mm; foliage alternate, stipulate and petiolate; stipules small, 1-2 mm in length, divergent-ascending, triangular-ovate, apparently glabrous; petioles up to 2.5 cm long, green, and hispid; laminae simple, truncate, ovate, strongly and ternately 3-lobed, 3- nerved, lobes triangular to elliptical (elliptical on larger leaves), irregularly dentate, hispid on veins of upper and lower surfaces, ciliate at base, to 6½ cm long by 6½ cm wide, much smaller on side shoots; juvenile foliage with laminae orbicular, cordate, 5-nerved and -angled; inflorescence indeterminate, a raceme; flowers hermaphrodite, protandrous, involucellate, borne horizontally or slightly nodding, singly, in the axils of upper leaves and of leaves of side shoots; pedicels hispid, to 4 cm, articulated approximately 1 cm below distal end; bracteoles 3, asymmetrically disposed, free, lanceolate, tomentose, 6 mm long, apex obtuse, ciliate, about 1mm below the calyx; calyx valvate in aestivation, sepals 5, flat at anthesis, enclosing the schizocarp in fruit, connate for about one third their length, triangular-ovate, acuminate, densely hispid, ciliate; corolla convolute in aestivation, petals 5, spirally arranged, spatulate, asymmetric, non-overlapping, hypogynous, adnate at the base to the staminal column, apex rounded, 15 mm long, pale pink with darker, branching, veining on upper side towards the base, claw white; staminal column white, about 10 mm long, antheriferous in the upper third; filaments pink, anthers black, reniform, unilocular; ovary white; style branches circa 11, red, filiform, as many as the locules, stigmas purple-red, capitellate; fruit schizocarpous, verticillate; mericarps not seen; seed not seen.

Description

An erect perennial sub-shrub, growing to 3-6 ft in height. The vegetative parts have a sparse covering of simple hairs.

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The stems are upright and branched. They are green or a purplish-reddish-brown, aging to a greyish-brown. They have a sparse covering of simple hairs.The leaves are borne alternately (one per node), subtended by two stipules. They are simple, ovate, palmately veined, deeply 3-lobed, and toothed, with a truncate base, and are borne on petioles up to 1" in length. They are up to 2½" in length and breadth, but can be much smaller. They bear simple hairs along the veins, on both faces, and ciliate hairs along the margin towards the base.

The petioles have a covering of hairs similar to that of the stems, but more prominent.

The stipules are ascending, triangular-ovate, small (1 to 2 mm in length).

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The flowers are smallish, about 1" in diameter, and are borne in clusters in the leaf axil, throughout summer.

They consist of an epicalyx of 3 segments, a calyx of 5 sepals, a corolla of 5 petals, an androecium and a gynoecium.

The pedicel is about 4cm long, and is articulated about 1cm below the flower, green, with a sparse covering of simple hairs.

The bracteoles (epicalyx segments) are lanceolate with a fringe of hairs. They are about ¼" long, unfused, and attached to the pedicel about 1mm below the sepals.The sepals are ovate. They are fused for about one third of their length. They are ciliate and densely hispid.

The petals are pale pink fading to white on the claw, with darker veining on the upper side towards the base. The intensity of the veining varies seasonally, been less intense in the spring.They are about 15-20mm long, with have rounded apices, and a narrow claw, which is fused to the staminal column, at the base.The staminal column is about 10 mm long, and is white it colour. The free filaments are pink, and the anthers black.

The style arms number about 11. They are pink, darkening towards their ends. The stigmas are small red globes.

The fruit is a schizocarp. Given that the style has circa 11 branches it is expected that the fruit has the same number of mericarps.

Cultivation: Anisodontea capensis may be propagated by seed or cuttings. Seed can be sown on the surface of a seed compost, or lightly covered with vermiculite. (I found germination to

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be fair, taking a few weeks; however this was from seed collected from a late flush of flowers which might not have fully matured.) I have succesfully taken tip cuttings in late summer.

Anisodontea capensis can be grown as a border, patio or greenhouse shrub. In the first case I have found it to be winter-hardy, with some loss of top-growth, but would not be confident that it would survive a severe winter. Grown indoors it continues in growth at 50-55°F in a British winter, unlike many hardier malvaceous plants which cease growth under those conditions.

Buddleja auriculataFamily: Loganiaceae

Common names: Weeping sage, treursalie (Afr.), Utile (Xhosa)

A lovely strong fragrance filling the air tells you that Buddleja auriculata, the evergreen weeping sage has anticipated spring long before you have- it comes as a real surprise in the middle of winter!

DescriptionThis shrub or small tree has beautiful glossy foliage: its leaves are deep-green above and silver below. Profuse spikes of tiny, tubular, sweetly-scented cream, orange or lilac flowers appear in July (mid-winter) to September (spring) on the ends of the 'weeping' branches. The fruit is a tiny, creamy brown capsule that splits at the tip (June to September).

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Natural distributionThis shrub occurs naturally on mountain slopes, in rocky ravines, and on forest margins, from Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe.

Name derivationThe genus is named after the Rev. Adam Buddle (1660-1715), an English botanist, and auriculata means having an ear-like appendage and refers to the stipule between the leaves which resembles a small ear. There are seven species of Buddleja in South Africa. They are mostly shrubby and can sometimes become small trees. Among those making good garden plants are Buddleja saligna and Buddleja salvifolia .

EcologyThe flowers attract many butterflies and other insects, which in turn become food for insectivorous birds like the southern boubou and Cape robin.

Growing Buddleja auriculata

This plant is easily propagated from hardwood cuttings. Shapely and graceful (4 × 4 m) Buddleja auriculata looks particularly attractive planted near water, perhaps next to a large dam or pond. The thick foliage could provide safe shelter for birds. Use it in a large mixed shrub border, or to form a screen, or as an informal hedge. It is suitable for medium to large gardens, any place that can accommodate its spread. This plant performs well in the Pretoria area, forming a neatish, dense, weeping shrub, but it does not fare as well in the Lowveld. It grows well in the Western Cape too, often flowering earlier and growing more upright.

Frost- and drought-resistant, this fast-growing shrub will probably grow well in most soils, but add plenty of compost and fertilizer (slow-release 3:2:1 or 3:1:5), and water regularly, for better results. Give less water in winter (June to end August). It tolerates pruning well, but this is usually unnecessary if enough room has been allowed for it to spread comfortably. A little shade will not be a problem, but it prefers a sunny spot. It can handle temperatures ranging from about -5°C to 38°C.

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Buddleja salignaCommon names: False Olive (English); Witolien (Afrikaans); umBatacwepe (Siswati); Lelothwane (South Sotho) Mothlware (Tswana); unGqeba (Xhosa) iGqeba-elimhlope

(Zulu)

Family: Buddlejaceae

The false olive is a tree up to 10m tall in warm moist areas but usually 4 to 5 metres in Highveld areas. Its young stems are four angled and covered with white velvety hairs. The

older stems and trunks are creamy or grey to dark brown and fluted with the bark peeling in longitudinal strips. The genus was named in honour of an amateur botanist Rev Adam Buddle (1660-1715). Saligna is a reference to the leaves being willow like.

The leaves are long and narrow - somewhat similar to the olive from which it gets its common name - but more textured. The leaf upper surface is hairless and dark green, the underside is whitish with prominently raised venation. The flowers are tiny, creamy white and borne in dense sprays usually at the ends of branches. The flowers have a lovely honey scent and appear from spring to summer (August- January). The seeds are minute, forming in small, hairy capsules which develop in the dried out flowers. (October - March)

The false olive is widespread in South Africa, from the Western Cape through to Zimbabwe, extending inland from the coast to central South Africa and the Kalahari

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thornveld in the northwest. The habitats are very varied. It is found growing on dry hillsides, in mixed scrub, wooded valleys, forest margins, along streams and in coastal bush.

The plant is used for traditional medicinal purposes, the roots as a purgative and the leaves to treat coughs and colds. The wood is very fine grained and was used to make small pieces of furniture. The straight branches were used to make fence posts. The false olive was used to make asseggai handles. It also makes good fuel wood as it burns with an intense heat. The large amounts of pollen and nectar it produces makes it popular with bee farmers.

Growing Buddleja saligna

This fast growing tree is an excellent, quick screen plant. It grows up to 800mm per year. Use it as a pioneer tree for your forest garden. It also makes a very good clipped hedge. There is a fine example of a hedge in the Waterwise Garden at the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It is evergreen, frost hardy and drought resistant and the masses of flowers make a lovely spring and summer show. It will grow in most soils but added compost will improve performance. It may need cutting back after flowering to keep tidy. The false olive does not have an aggressive root system.

The flowers attract insects (especially moths) and therefore insect feeding birds such as robins and apalises to the garden.

Buddleja saligna is easily grown from seed or cuttings. The seed is very fine and should be mixed with sand to obtain an even distribution. Sow in a good, fine seedling mix in seedling trays. To water after sowing, stand the tray in a clean, shallow container of water and allow to soak up into seed tray. Remove once the surface is wet. Germination may not take place all at the same time although most seed should have germinated after four weeks. Transplant into black bags, taking care to water well afterwards.

Buddleja salviifoliaFamily name: BuddlejaceaeCommon names: Sagewood

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Buddleja was named in honor of the Rev. Adam Buddle, an English botanist of the 17th century. The species name 'salviifolia' refers to the leaves that resemble those of Salvia farinacea.

This shrub is widespread and common in from the Western Cape through the Eastern Cape to Free State, Lesotho, Kwazulu Natal, Swaziland, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Mozambique, Zimbabwe to tropical Africa. It grows naturally in forest margins, rocky hillsides and along stream banks on the escarpment.

Buddleja salviifolia is a semi-evergreen bushy shrub that grows up to 4m high under favorable conditions. Its leaves are dark green and conspicuously wrinkled and puckered above, densely covered with whitish or brown hairs below. Leaves can be broadly or narrowly long. Masses of small, white to lilac blooms are borne in large panicles. The flowers are sweetly scented and vary in colour from dull to clear white to almost true purple. Flowering occurs from August to October (spring).

Buddleja salviifolia attracts many insects such as bees, butterflies and birds. In a garden design sagewood is useful as a framework or background plant. It is very decorative when in flower. If pruned often, it makes an excellent hedge. Besides its use in horticulture, this plant has other economic uses. Its leaves are browsed by game. Fresh and dried leaves make an aromatic herbal tea. A decoction of roots provides a remedy for cough and for relief of colic while an infusion of the leaves is applied as an eye lotion.

Growing Buddleia salviifolia

Sagewood can be propagated easily from seeds and cuttings. The fastest way of propagation is through cuttings. Hardwood cuttings can be taken during the active phase of growth and must be treated with a root stimulating hormone powder. Cuttings should be planted in washed river sand and kept moist for three to four

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weeks. Rooted cuttings can be planted in nursery bags in a well-drained growth media. Young plants must be protected from frost for the first season whereas well established sagewood can withstand frost and drought. Sagewood grows easily in any soil, but adding compost will give better results.

Seven species of Buddleja occur in southern Africa. They are B. auriculata, B. dysophylla, B. glomerata, B. loricata, B. pulchella, B. saligna and B. salviifolia.

Calpurnia aureaFamily: Fabaceae (Pea & Bean Family)

Common Names : Common Calpurnia, Calpurnia, Wild Laburnum, Natal Laburnum, Cape Laburnum (E), Geelkeurboom, Geelkeur, Natalse Geelkeur (A), inDloli,

umSitshana (X), umKhiphampethu, inSiphane-enkulu, umHlahlambedu, umLalandlovana (Z)

With decorative foliage, showy yellow flowers and a graceful habit, Calpurnia aurea is an asset in any garden.

DescriptionA multi-stemmed shrub or a small graceful slender evergreen tree 2 - 4 m tall with a light, open crown. The leaves are compound, up to 20cm long, each having 5-15 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one. The leaflets are oblong 2.5-5cm long with a lopsided base and a rounded or notched apex. They are a fresh light green, graceful and drooping.

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The flowers are bright yellow, each about 2.5 cm long, in showy hanging bunches of 8 to 30 flowers. They appear irregularly throughout the year. In summer-rainfall areas the peak flowering period is mid-late summer (Dec-Feb), but in the winter-rainfall Western Cape, particularly during hot dry summers like the one we've just had, they don't flower well in summer but start up again in the autumn. They are typical pea flowers with the banner/standard, keel and wing petals characteristic of the family.

The fruit is a thin pod drying light brown with a papery texture, 5-12 cm long and 0.8-1.9 cm wide, narrowly winged on one side containing up to 8 brownish seeds. The pods are indehiscent (do not split open when mature).

Three subspecies were recognized: Calpurnia aurea ssp. aurea, C. aurea ssp. sylvatica and C. aurea ssp. indica. C. aurea ssp. sylvatica is now sunk into C. aurea ssp. aurea. The ssp. sylvatica was distinguished by being confined to the Eastern Cape, occurring from Uitenhage to the Stutterheim district, and having a hairless ovary and hairless lower leaflet-surfaces. C. aurea ssp. aurea extends from the

Eastern Cape northwards and it has silky hairs on the lower leaflet surfaces and the ovaries. Intermediate forms were found in Zimbabwe, the former Transvaal and in the Eastern Cape. C. aurea ssp. indica is confined to India and is the same as ssp.aurea except for having smaller calyces and petals.

DistributionCalpurnia aurea is the most widespread of the genus. It is found growing in forest, on forest margins and in clearings, on hill sides or on the edge of woody kloofs and in bushveld. In the forest it can be a 9 to 15 m tree while in the open it is more often a shrub or small tree 2 - 4 m tall. In southern Africa it occurs from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland to Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo. It also occurs northwards into tropical Africa as far as Ethiopia, and in southern India.

EcologyFlowers are visited by carpenter bees and many other insects. Dassies eat the flower buds and young flowers.

Derivation of the name & historical aspectsThe genus Calpurnia is named after the Roman poet Calpurnius. He is thought to be an imitator of the poet Virgil, and since this genus resembles Virgilia that was named after Virgil, it's poetically just that it be named after Calpurnius. The nameaurea means golden (Latin), sylvatica means growing amongst trees (Latin).

It was first described in 1789 from a plant growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, that was said to have been introduced from Ethiopia in 1777.

It has attracted the common name wild/Natal/Cape laburnum because its flowers resemble those of the European laburnum (Laburnum anagroides). Crotalaria capensis is also sometimes called wild/Cape laburnum which can cause confusion.

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The Zulu name umkhiphampethu means 'maggot-extractor'.

Calpurnia is a small genus of approximately 16 species, 8 of which occur in southern Africa where they are found in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country. The other species are: C. capensis, C. floribunda, C. glabrata, C. intrusa, C. reflexa, C. sericea and C. woodii .

Uses & cultural aspectsIn South Africa, calpurnia leaves and powdered roots are used to destroy lice and to relieve itches. Unspecified parts are used to destroy maggots and the leaves are used to treat allergic rashes, particularly those caused by caterpillars. In East Africa, leaf sap is used to destroy maggots in wounds. In Nigeria, the seeds are used to treat abscesses. In Ethiopia it is used to treat stomach complaints, headache, eye diseases, amoebic dysentery, scabies and as an insecticide.

The wood is yellowish with a dark brown heartwood that is heavy and hard but not much used.

Growing Calpurnia aurea

Calpurnia is very easy to grow. It's fast-growing and flowers when young, an excellent shrub or small tree for the garden. It does best in fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of water in summer, but is tolerant of summer drought and should withstand a climate with a winter minimum of -5 °C (zone 9). Grow it in sun or semi-shade, although a plant in full sun will produce more flowers. To keep it small and/or bushy and more floriferous, prune lightly to shape after flowering.

Calpurnia is an ideal small tree for a small suburban garden, or for a tub in an urban courtyard. It can also be planted as a specimen plant on its own in the lawn or a rockery. In time and left to its own devices it can form an interestingly-shaped focal point. Grow it as the backdrop for a herbaceous border, in groups for a mass display.

Calpurnia is easily raised from seed sown in spring or early summer. Soaking in

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hand-hot water and treating with a fungicide that combats pre-and post-emergence damping off, although not essential for germination, will increase the number of successful seedlings. Seed germinates in 10-14 days. Prick out soon after the first pair of true leaves have developed - taking care not to damage the taproot. Protect young plants from frost.

Celtis africanaFamily: Celtidaceae

Common names: white stinkwood (Eng.), witstinkhout (Afr.), umVumvu (Xhosa), uSinga lwesalukazi (Zulu),

Modutu (Sotho & Tswane), Mpopano (Venda)

There is no doubt that this is an excellent tree to use in a landscape, and it is a rewarding garden tree. It gives shade in summer, and is fast and easy to grow under a wide range of conditions.

DescriptionThis beautiful deciduous tree grows up to 25 m tall in a forest habitat, but in a garden it can be treated as a medium-sized tree, expected to reach a height of up to 12 m. In the wild, where it is growing in an exposed, rocky position it may be nothing more than a shrub,but well-grown specimens will have a single, straight bole branching to form a dense, semi-circular canopy. The trunk of Celtis africana is easy to distinguish by its smooth, pale grey to white bark. It may be loosely peeling in old trees and sometimes has horizontal ridges.

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In spring Celtis africana is very lovely, with its light green, tender, new leaves that contrast beautifully with the pale bark. The leaves are simple, alternate, triangular in shape with three distinct veins from the base, and the margin is toothed for the upper two-thirds. The new leaves are bright, fresh green and hairy, and they turn darker green and become smoother as they mature. Celtis africana leaves are browsed by cattle and goats, and are food for the larvae of the long-

nosed butterfly.

The flowers appear in spring (August to October). They are small, greenish, star-like and inconspicuous. Separate male and female flowers are produced on the same tree.A cluster of male flowers is borne at the base of the new leaf, and the female or bisexual flowers are in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are pollinated by bees. Masses of small, rounded, berry-like fruits on 13 mm long stalks follow the flowers, from October to February. When they turn yellow-brown to black they are ripe. Many birds like rameron pigeons, willow warblers, black-eyed bulbuls, mousebirds and crested barbets feed on the fruits and disperse the seeds.

DistributionCeltis africana is common and widespread in South Africa. It occurs in a wide range of habitats from the coast up to 2 100 m, from the Cape Peninsula northwards through South Africa to Ethiopia, where it grows in dense forest, on rocky outcrops, in bushveld, in open grassland, on mountain slopes, on coastal dunes, and along river banks and in kloofs.

Derivation of the nameThe genus name Celtis is the Latin name used by Pliny, and is also the ancient Greek name for one of the plants reputed to be the lotus of the ancients. The specific epithet africana means African. Celtis africana thus means, the African celtis.C.

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africana is commonly known as white stinkwood, because of the unpleasant smell of the freshly cut wood, and it's pale colour. The timber of C. africana has no commercial value. It is very unfortunate that it has this common name as it causes confusion with the true stinkwood, Ocotea bullata. These two species do not look similar, nor are they closely related. Ocotea bullata belongs in the laurel family (Lauraceae).

The genus Celtis contains about 50 species widely spread throughout the warm temperate regions of the world. Only three species are indigenous to southern Africa namely Celtis gomphophylla (false white stinkwood), C. mildbraedii (Natal white stinkwood) and C. africana. In southern Africa there are 5 species in this family, the three Celtis species, Trema orientalis (trema/pigeon wood) and Chaetachme aristata (chaetachme/false white pear). This family is closely related to the elm family Ulmaceae, which is distributed mainly in the north temperate regions of the world.

Celtis africana closely resembles, and can be easily confused with Trema orientalis. Trema is not as widely distributed, nor as tolerant of tough conditions as C. africana. Also, trema leaves tend to be larger and more slender, serrated nearly from the base, and the female flowers and fruits are carried on much shorter stalks than those of C. africana. Furthermore, related exotic species, C. australis (nettle tree), C. sinensis (Chinese hackberry) and Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm), are cultivated in gardens in South Africa and do occasionally escape into natural areas where they may be confused with the indigenous species.

Uses and cultural aspectsThe wood of Celtis africana is white to yellowish in colour and of medium hardness. It is tough and strong, and polishes well, but is difficult to work. It is a good general timber suitable for making planks, shelving, yokes, tent-bows and furniture. The African people have always used it to make a variety of household articles. It is also thought to have magical properties. The wood is mixed with crocodile fat as a charm against lightning, and many people believe that it has the power over evil and that pegs of wood driven into the ground will keep witches away.

Growing Celtis africana

Celtis africana is fast and easy to grow. It is fairly drought resistant and can withstand frost. It does best in good, rich, deep soil with plenty of water in summer. This is an excellent tree for large gardens and parks, and has also proved to be a successful street and avenue tree. At Kirstenbosch they were planted in the new Visitors' Centre car park where in a short space of time they are already providing shade and softening the hard, hot expanse of paving. In the garden, it makes an ideal shade tree, particularly when planted on the northern or western side of the house, where the shade provided cools the house in summer, yet

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allows the sun through to heat the house in winter. It also works well as a specimen plant in a tub in a courtyard garden, and makes a beautiful bonsai subject.

Freshly collected seed germinates easily. Seeds collected from the ground are usually infested by insects, so it is best to harvest from the tree. The flesh from the berry is best cleaned off and the seeds should be sown in a flat seedling tray filled with river sand and well decomposed compost (5 parts river sand to 1 part compost). The seeds should be covered with a thin layer of river sand and kept moist. The trays should be placed in a warm but shaded area. Germination will take 15 to 30 days with an expected germination of 70%. Transplant the seedlings into good, rich soil and give them plenty of water and they will grow fairly fast, putting on 1 to 2 m per year.

Combretum erythrophyllum

Family: CombretaceaeCommon name: river bushwillow

One of the winged wonders belonging to the bushwillow family, this medium-sized tree is a fast grower, producing creamy flowers and beautiful 4-winged seeds of a greenish brown colour when young and drying to a honey-brown.

DescriptionThis is a medium to large deciduous tree with reddish autumn colours. Flowers are cream to pale yellow

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(September - November). Fruit are small, 4-winged and a greenish brown colour, ripening to yellowish brown and drying to a honey-brown. They remain on the tree for a long time and are reputed to be poisonous, causing hiccups. The bark is a pale brown, smooth, but flaking with age to expose grey patches, which give it a mottled appearance. Knob-like outgrowths commonly occur in older trees, giving them an old, gnarled look. The young leaves are yellowish and shiny maturing to a fresh mid-green. Trees are often multi-stemmed and somewhat willow-like in habit.

DistributionThis species is found in the northeastern part of South Africa, from Zimbabwe in the north down to Eastern Cape in the south with a thin line following the Orange River westward. This is a riverine species, occurring alongside rivers or away from rivers where sufficient groundwater is available. It is found at almost all altitudes and can therefore tolerate a fair amount of climatic variation and diverse soils such as heavy black loam, sandy riverine alluvium and granite sand.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsThe specific name erythrophyllum means red leaf in Greek and was given by Burchell. He based it on the name roodeblat used by the inhabitants of the northwestern Cape for this species.

EcologyGiraffe and elephant browse the tree. The seeds, although said to be generally poisonous, are eaten by

Pied Barbets. Wasps sometimes lay their eggs through the fruit wall. The newly hatched larvae then feed on the seeds. Birds such as the Southern Black Tit tap each fruit, open those that contain grubs and eat them.

Uses and cultural aspectsThe gum has interesting properties. It is non-toxic, elastic, producing a non-cracking varnish. The roots, which some regard as poisonous, are used as a purgative and to treat venereal diseases. Ornaments, cattle troughs and grain mortars are made from the wood. A dark, rich brown dye is extracted from the roots. The dried fruits also work well in flower arrangements.

Growing Combretum erythrophyllum

This is a popular shade tree, surprisingly drought and frost resistant and fast growing under good conditions, reaching 4-6 m in three years. It has the attraction of being one of the more responsive and adaptable bushwillow species, even surviving in the Karoo gardens where its autumn colours are even more brilliant than in milder climates.

This species sets lots of seed and seedlings are often to be found under the trees. It grows easily from fresh, unparasitized seed which should be soaked for some hours before planting. Seedlings appear 7-13 days after planting. The seedlings are frost resistant after two years.

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Combretum kraussii

Family: CombretaceaeCommon name: forest bushwillow

© G Nichols

Handsome, quick growing and reasonably cold resistant, this tree is recommended for shady areas in gardens with a mild to warm climate.

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DescriptionThis is a medium to large tree, that has been classified as mostly evergreen (Carr 1988) or deciduous or semi-deciduous (Van Wyk & Van Wyk 1997) tree. This beautifully decorative tree's leaves turn bright red to purple in winter, dropping just before flowering, which starts around August and continues through to November.

The flowers are creamy-white and carried in dense heads. Some trees also have a showy flush of small white leaves in spring which either turn green (Palmer & Pitman 1972) or are replaced by the bright green leaves (Coates Palgrave 2002). Four-winged fruit carried in clusters from about February to June follow the flowers. The fruit are small, light to dark red and turn a conspicuous brownish red when dry.

DistributionFound from the coast to the midlands in the eastern regions of South Africa and neighbouring Swaziland. The habitat ranges from rocky hillsides at altitudes from almost sea level up to 1 200 m. It grows anywhere from evergreen forest or forest margins to dense woodland.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsThe specific name of this tree honours Dr F. Krauss of the Stuttgart Museum who made a collecting trip to South Africa in 1837-1840.

EcologyCombretums are pollinated by various kinds of insects, including bees. They have adapted to wind dispersal by developing a wing-like fruit structure that can carry the seed

with the help of air currents or wind. Some animals are known to eat Combretum fruit and also help with the seed dispersal.

Uses and cultural aspectsThe young stems are pliable and used in basket-making. The wood is tough and yellowish in colour; the sawdust can however cause a skin irritation. Certain parts from the tree are used to produce antidiuretics, lotions for eye infections, as well as

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antiseptics.

Growing Combretum kraussii

Its range of seasonal features make this a good choice for the garden. In spring it bears white flowers and an unusual flush of white leaves, the red fruits of late summer are showy and in winter its leaves turn fiery before falling.

Combretum kraussii grows easily and quickly from seed. Fruit can be harvested, since it is produced in fair quantities and is usually not unduly parasitized. If fruit is collected for cultivation purposes it should be checked for parasites. Indications of parasites being present are small circular holes in the body or a gummy excrescence. Fruit should be stored in a dry place. It is a good idea to take the seed out of the fruit covering and soak it for an hour or so before sowing. Sow the seeds at a depth of 3-5 mm below the surface in a well-drained medium. The first seedling appears 9 to17 days after sowing. All seeds should have germinated after 15 to 29 days.

Protect seedlings from too much moisture - check that the soil drains well. Shelter seedlings from severe heat and cold for at least the first year. This is a fast-growing tree and can reach 1.7 m after two summers.

This tree is reasonably drought resistant. Water seedlings every 3-4 days in summer and every 7-10 days in winter.

Croton gratissimusFamily: Euphorbiaceae

Common Names : bergboegoe, ilabele, inkubathi, isikhumampuphu, korannaboegoe, lavender croton, lavender fever berry, laventelbos, laventelkoorsbessie, maloga

SA Tree Number: 328

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© Geoff Nichols

This is an attractive and versatile deciduous shrub or small tree in the home garden, but capable of becoming a large tree in certain instances.

DescriptionC. gratissimus is a shrub or a small tree that may reach 10 m in height in South Africa, but can grow to 20 m tall further north in Africa. It is a slender tree with fine, drooping foliage and a crown which spreads upwards in a 'V'-shape with drooping terminal branches.

The leaves of the lavender croton are simple and alternate, with a beautiful and striking silvery under-surface. The upper surface is dark green and shiny, without hairs, while the under surface is covered by dense scales producing a silvery colour. Leaves are also dotted with cinnamon coloured glandular scales.

C. gratissimus bears small cream to golden yellow flowers in spikes of about 10 cm long. The small buds are formed and stay on the tree for months before the flowers open. Spikes contain different sex flowers, with only one or two females at the bottom of the spike, and the rest are males.

Fruit, formed between September and November, is a three lobed capsule. First green, it turns yellow as it matures. In late autumn the capsule dries out and explodes flinging the seed some distance from the mother plant.

Distribution

The tree occurs only in the northern parts of South Africa, with its main distribution further north. According to Coates Palgrave (2002) it over a wide range of altitudes, in a variety of woodland vegetation types but mainly associated with stony soils and rocky outcrops. Croton gratissimus has been divided into two varieties, namely; C. gratissimus var. gratissimus and C. gratissimus var. subgratissimus. Variety gratissimus has no hairs on the upper surface, while

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variety subgratissimus has stellate hairs on the upper surface and occurs mainly in Zimbabwe, Botswana and the far northern areas of South Africa.

Name DerivationThe spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is a large family of flowering plants with 280 genera and around 6,000 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti. This family occurs mainly in the Tropics, with the majority of the species in the Indo-Malayian region and tropical South America coming a good second. However, Euphorbia also has many species in non-tropical areas such as the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Africa and southern USA.

Croton is an extensive plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae established by Carolus Linnaeus in 1737. The common name for this genus is rushfoil and croton. The genus name comes from Greek Kroton, which means ticks, because of the seeds' ressemblance to ticks. The species name gratissimus is a Latin word meaning 'most pleasing' (gratus = pleasing; -issimus = most).

UsesThe young branches of lavender croton are pleasantly aromatic; and it is recorded that Bushman girls dried these and then powder them to make perfume. The charred and powdered bark is used to treat bleeding gums. Although the plant is believed to be toxic, it is an important stock food in Namibia. It is also a beautiful ornamental plant with pale bark and attractive foliage.

Growing Croton gratissimus

The seed should be collected just before it is dispersed and stored in a dry closed container where it will open spontaneously. The seed should be sown in a well drained open seedling mixture and covered lightly with the same mixture or fine sand.

The trays should be kept in a light place and watered regulary but not kept too wet until germination takes place (usually between 3-4weeks). Once the seedlings have established watering should be reduced and a fungicide may be applied to prevent damping off.

Seedlings should be allowed to grow to approximately 50 mm before being transplanted into individual containers. Saplings are slow growing at first but the growth rate increases, as the plants get older. Plants may be planted out into the garden once they are 600 mm or taller.

Dais continifoliaFamily: Thymelaeaceae

Common Names: Pompon tree, Pincushion tree, Kannabas, Speldekussing, Basboom, inTozani (X); inTozwane-emnyama (Z)

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The pompon tree is one of the best known and well-loved indigenous trees, tough enough to be used as a street tree and small enough to fit into most gardens. When in flower at Christmas it looks like a giant candy floss, as the tree transforms into a cloud of soft pink balls. Its natural home is the eastern part of South Africa where it grows on the margins of forests, wooded hill slopes and in stony kloofs.

Dais cotinifolia is a small tree growing only to 6 metres, with a lovely rounded, leafy crown. It can be single- or multi-stemmed, with the brown stems covered in small speckles of whitish cork. The smooth, simple leaves are bright green, sometimes with a slight bluish tinge on the upper side. The veins of the leaves are a translucent yellow colour, forming very clear patterns as they run through the leaves. The leaves are usually scattered up the branches or crowded at the ends of the branches. In very cold areas the trees are deciduous, but in warmer climates like Cape

Town they only lose their leaves for a short time at the end of winter.

The trees flower in early summer, any time from November to December. In the city of Cape Town the street trees flower in November and in the more protected environment of Kirstenbosch, the trees only flower in December. The new flower buds look like lollypops, with big round heads on long thin stems at the end of the branches. The green heads pop open with the many small flowers in tight bunches inside, looking like pink fluff balls. For about three weeks the tree flowers in

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profusion. The tiny black seeds are formed in the bottom of the little flowers and are ready to collect about month or two after flowering. After flowering, the green cup shaped bracts that held the flowers, become hard and brown, remaining on the tree for many months. These dried "flowers" can be used for decorations, model building and children's games.

Growing Dais cotinifolia

This is a wonderful tree for the garden, fast growing, fairly drought resistant once established and frost hardy. When planting, choose a sunny position and prepare it well by digging a large hole of about 1 m x 1m, adding lots of compost and bone meal. Water the young tree regularly during the summer months until it is well established, which usually takes about two years. Placing a thick mulch of compost around the base of the tree helps to prevent water from running away, keeps the soil moist and cool, suppresses weed growth and slowly releases nutrients into the soil.

The tree grows easily from seed and usually seeds itself all over the garden. Sow seed in spring or early summer in seed trays filled with a well-drained medium. Cover the seed lightly with fine milled bark or sand, place in a shady position and keep moist. To improve the germination, treat the seed with a fungicide that prevents damping off. The young seedling can be potted up as soon as they are big enough to handle. The trees grow fast and reach their full height within 4 to 5 years, flowering from about their second year. The trees can be lightly pruned if necessary, young trees becoming very bushy if the leader is trimmed. Flowers are produced on the previous year's growth, so any pruning should be done after flowering.

Breaking a branch off this tree is quite difficult because the bark tears off in long strips, from which accounts for its common name, *Kannabas. This is a typical characteristic of the family Thymelaeaceae to which Dais belongs. Eve Palmer notes in her description of Dais cotinifolia that the Africans, who use the bark as thread or cord, say that it has the strongest fibre of any tree in KwaZulu-Natal.

Eve Palmer also mentions the interesting fact that Linnaeus founded the genus Dais in 1764. In this genus there are only 2 species, Dais cotinifolia from South Africa and one other species from Madagascar. Dais means a torch in Greek, and the genus got its name from the resemblance of the stalk and bracts holding the flowers to a torch about to be lit. The leaves resemble those of another genus Cotinus, hence the species name cotinifolia.

Dodonaea viscosaFamily : Sapindaceae

Common names : sand olive (Eng.); sandolien, ysterbos (Afr.); mutata-vhana

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(Venda); mutepipuma (Shona)

This well known, drought and wind resistant, indigenous plant can grow into a shrub as it is usually multi-stemmed or a small tree when the lower branches are pruned. It is ideal for water-wise gardens.

DescriptionDodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 5 m high. Its bark is light grey and finely fissured. The droopy leaves are shiny light green above and paler green below. Its flowers are small, yellowish green and are followed by decorative clusters of yellow or reddish fruits with papery wings. Flowers are produced from April to August (autumn–winter). This is a fast growing plant that prefers a sandy substrate; when given good soil and plenty of water it requires minimal water once established.

Left: Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia

Right: Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia

Conservation statusDodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia is not a threatened species.

Distribution and habitat

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Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia grows in a variety of habitats from arid, semi-arid to high rainfall regions and is frost-hardy. It is found in a wide strip along the coast from Namaqualand through the Western Cape, Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal as well as further north in Mozambique and Zambia.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsThe genus Dodonaea was named after Rembert Dodoens. He was a Dutch physician and botanist who wrote a book on plants of the Middle Ages. He died in 1585. The specific epithet viscosa means sticky, referring to the young growing tips which contain surface flavonoids; this gives them a shiny appearance. In the genus Dodonaea there are 60 species widespread mostly in Australia. In South Africa there are two recognized taxa: Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia andDodonaea viscosa var. viscosa.

EcologyThe dense bushy hedges which it may form are ideal bird nesting sites and the flowers attract butterflies. The seed has papery wings and is possibly dispersed by wind.

Uses and cultural aspectsThis shrub is grown worldwide, as the roots have soil-binding properties which are effective for the purpose of stabilizing sand dunes and to control erosion. The early Cape settlers used a decoction prepared from the new leaf tips for fever. In the rural areas Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia is still widely used for colds, influenza, stomach trouble and measles. For a sore throat and oral thrush it is used as a gargle. The Khoi-Khoi used a concoction of the root for colds and influenza. In Namaqualand the green leaves are boiled slowly, then left to steep, strained, and the extract is used for influenza, colds and also to induce sweating. It also used to relieve coughs and the congested feeling typical of influenza, croup and diphtheria. The same extract is considered to alleviate stomach ailments and fever. The leaves are used externally as a remedy for itchy skin and to treat skin rashes. An extract of the leaves is used as a mild purgative and for rheumatism, sorethroat and haemorrhoids. Other early uses of the plant include the treatment of pneumonia, tuberculosis and skin rashes. In southern Africa it is regarded as one of the most important traditional medicines and is used in combination with other medicinal plants, including Viscum capense (Willem Steenkamp, pers. comm.). Most of the Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia specimens found in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden are a host plant to the hemiparasitic shrub,Viscum capense which grows on them. Seeds of the parasite are deposited on the branches of the host as a result of birds feeding on the fruits of the parasite and cleaning their beaks on the branches of the host. In arid areas it is also a valuable source of firewood.

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Growing Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia

As a shrub it can be planted together with other indigenous plants like Gazania krebsiana, a groundcover with orange flowers, and Eriocephalus ericoides, wild rosemary, for a well rounded garden.

Seed can be harvested in autumn and sown in spring into plastic seed trays. A sandy soil mix is used mixed with 10% compost. Dodonaea germinates quite easily, so no special treatment of the seed is needed, and it does well in cultivation. The plastic seed trays are then kept moist and the seeds will germinate in 2–3 weeks' time. When the seedlings are about 100–150 mm tall they are moved to a netted hardening area that gets 30% shade during the day, making them used to more sun.

From there they can grow up to 300–400 mm tall before they are transplanted to 2 L or 4 L bags. As soon as they are transplanted they are moved to areas receiving full sun where they will be buffeted by winds, as in nature, and may be watered as needed.

The Dodonaea specimens are then transplanted to 10 L bags when they are around 1.2 m tall (Geldenhuys, J.pers. comm. 2011).

Dombeya rotundifoliaWild Pear (English); Drolpeer (Afrikaans); iNhliziyonkhulu (Zulu);

mohlabaphala (N. Sotho); Motubane (Tswana); Nsihaphukuma (Tsonga)

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Family: STERCULIACEAE

This lovely tree gets its English common name from the masses of white blooms which appear before the leaves in early spring. It bears a resemblance to a true pear (Pyrus communis) in full flower. It is no relation of the pear tree, which is in the Rose family (Roseaceae) like the peach and apricot.

Like other Dombeya species the flowers remain on the tree until after the fruit capsules have formed in the centre of each flower. The petals turn brown and become dry and light. Once the fruit is ripe and falls from the tree, the petals act as wings and float it away. The wild pear grows in woodland, wooded grassland and rocky mountain slopes from Kwazulu-Natal northwards to Ethiopia.

The name Dombeya was given in honour of Joseph Dombey (1742 - 1793), a French botanist who worked in Peru and Chilé. Rotundifolia refers to the round leaves of this species.

This is a deciduous, very fast growing tree, 1 - 1.5 m per year. It may reach up to 10 m in height but is usually between 3 and 6 m. The bark is dark brown, very rough and corky on mature trees. It forms a protective, fire resistant layer around the trunk. The leaves are almost round and are covered with the minute star-like hairs, which are a character of Dombeya.

The wild pear is a lovely garden specimen, the spectacular show of scented flowers is a herald of spring. It has a single stem and a somewhat rounded crown. It is both frost and drought resistant. The flowers appear from July to September, the earlier flowering taking place in the warmer northern areas. The dried flowers can be used in flower arranging. This is a good wildlife garden tree as it attracts bees and butterflies. It is a larval food plant for the Ragged Skipper (Caprona pillaana) butterfly. The wild pear is also reportedly a good bonsai specimen, which develops the corky bark and reduced leaf size after 2 - 3 years.

The wild pear has many traditional uses as well. Strong rope fibre is made from the bark and the plant is used medicinally for various purposes, including a love potion

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made from the flowers. It is a useful tree on farms and nature reserves as game and stock browse from it. The wood is termite resistant and often used as fence posts. Bee farmers also appreciate the tree for the large amounts of nectar and pollen which it produces.

Growing Dombeya rotundifolia

The wild pear can be propagated from seed in spring in deep seed trays of good, fine seedling mix, lightly covered with sand and kept moist. The seedlings should be transplanted once the true leaves have formed, into small nursery bags filled with a 3:1 mixture of sand and compost. They should be given protection from heat and sun until they are hardened off.

Dovyalis caffra

Family: Salicaceae Common names: Kei-appel (Afr.); motlhono (North Sotho); umqokolo (Zulu), Kei-apple

(Eng.);

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amaqokolo (Ndebele); mukokolo (Shona)

Dovyalis caffra is a lovely evergreen fruit tree or shrub. It is one of the three Dovyalis species, together with D. zeyheri (wild apricot) and D. rhamnoides (common sour berry), which are of considerable importance as a source of income for some local communities in southern Africa. A trial planting of southern African fruit trees in a desert in Israel is also going to include this plant (Dovyalis caffra). It is an attractive, drought and frost resistant tree or shrub.

DescriptionDovyalis caffra is usually 3-5 m in height, but sometimes reaches 8 m with a much branched crown. It is a tree or spiny shrub of moderate growth rate that may be planted close together to form a good hedge. Creamy green flowers form in November to December. Male flowers are 3 mm long in dense clusters of 5-10 flowers. Female flowers are found in groups of up to three on stalks 4-10 mm long in leaf axils. The fruits are up to 60 mm in diameter and are yellowish orange in colour.

DistributionIt grows in valley bushveld, dry areas, wooded grassland, on forest edges, from Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal to Swaziland, into Limpopo [Northern Province] and Zimbabwe.

Derivation of nameDovyalis is a Greek word meaning spear, and caffra is derived from Kaffraria (Eastern Cape).

Ecology

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Insects and birds play a very important role in pollinating this tree. Birds such as the louries and the black-eyed bulbuls love the fruits of a Dovyalis caffra, which are delicious. By eating the fruits birds also help to distribute the seeds. Baboons, antelope and monkeys also like to eat the fruit.

Uses and cultural aspectsDovyalis caffra can be cultivated as a border, screen or used to form an impenetrable hedge around a garden to keep unwanted animals and people out. It will grow well in either full sun or light shade and will also need regular trimming in order to maintain a good hedge. The leaves are used as fodder (bulk feed for livestock). The fruits are edible and make excellent jam.

Growing Dovyalis caffra

The Kei-apple is easily propagated from seed. The fruits must be ripe before they are collected. The seed must be cleaned and dried in a shady spot before planting. They should then be sown in seedling trays filled with river sand or seedling mix. The seeds must be pressed down into the sand until they are level with the surface of the sand and then covered with a layer of fine sand. The Kei-apple can also be propagated from hardwood cuttings as long as they are treated with root-stimulating hormone before planting. It also has a good growth rate of about 600 mm per year.

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Duvernoia aconitiflora

Common name:Lemon Pistol Bush

Other names:Geelpistoolbos (A)

SA Tree No.:681.2

Description:A small shrub or small tree with dense dark green foliage. It bears showy pale yellow flowers which are marked with purple in the throat. The fruit is a club-shaped capsule which explodes to release its seeds.

Landscape uses:Fantastic screening plant for a shady section.

Size:3m x 3m

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http://www.plantbook.co.za/images/sobipro/entries/266/Duvernoia_aconitiflora_3.jpg




Duvernoia adhatodoidesFamily: Acanthaceae

Common Name: Pistol Bush, Pistoolbos

Duvernoia adhatodoides is a shrub or a small tree 1-3m in height. It is commonly found on forest understorey, on forest margins and rocky outcrops in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the former Transkei area in the Eastern Cape Province. It is also found in the Gauteng Province. This is an evergreen single or multi-stemmed shrub with dense dark crown. The stems can be as thick as 260mm in diameter with dark brown rough bark. The shiny, dark green leaves make this plant interesting even when it is not in flower. Flowers are conspicuous, an attractive white to mauve with purple markings. This shrub flowers from February to August.

The flowers are pollinated by large black and yellow carpenter bees. Mrs M.E.Barber, a well-known naturalist who lived in the Eastern Cape over a hundred years ago,

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wrote an article in Journal of the Linnean Society in 1871 describing how the bee alights on the lower lip and forces open the corolla tube with its proboscis to gorge on nectar. In doing so the bee's thorax gets dusted with pollen. It then flies on to another flower where its thorax brushes against the protruding stigma, depositing pollen to ensure fertilization, before picking up a more pollen. The fruits are club-shaped capsules, about 3 x 1 cm, dehiscing explosively with a loud crack (hence the common name).

Growing Duvernoia adhatodoides

This shrub is an excellent decorative garden plant. It can also be used as a background planting in a landscape.

This plant can be grown from seed or cuttings. Duvernoia adhatodoides is sensitive to frost. However, with some protection it can grow in areas where frost is not too severe. Duvernoia adhatodoides is best grown in moist coastal gardens. It thrives in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. It likes well composted soil as it occurs naturally in forests. Mulch to keep soil water in the soil and to regulate soil temperature. Growth can be stimulated by various fertilizers such as Supa Natural (Fish emulsion fertilizer),Seagro and Kelpack. Seagro and Supa Natural can be used as foliar feed.

Duvernoia adhatodoides is pretty in flower at the Arboretum (the tree section) in Kirstenbosch Garden. Numerous seedlings at the base of the plants are an indication of how easily it germinates. Seedlings are resistant to fungal diseases but a fungicide can be applied when neccessary.

South Africa only has two Duvernoia species. The other species, D. aconitiflora, which also flowers during autumn, is a small shrub to 3m from the north eastern part of South Africa. It is well suited to smaller gardens.

Ehretia rigida

Family: Boraginaceae (forget-me-not family)Common names: puzzle bush (Eng.); deurmekaarbos (Afr.); umHlele (Zulu); Morobe

(Northern Sotho); iBotshane (Xhosa); Mutepe (Venda)

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© G Nichols

Ehretia rigida is a deciduous small tree or shrub, usually multistemmed, with an untidy rounded crown. It has tangled branches which arch downwards or droop. This rather haphazard look gives it its common names, puzzle bush and deurmekaarbos.

DescriptionEhretia rigida can grow up to 9 m in height. The bark is very smooth and grey on new branches and rough on older branches and stems. The plant has an alternate leaf arrangement but the leaves seem to grow together in clusters at the tips of its short branches. The leaves can be smooth or covered with stiff hairs that are rough to the touch. It has small leaf stalks of about 2 mm long. The flowers grow in dense clusters on the branches. These pale mauve, blue or white flowers can only be seen in spring with male and female flowers on different plants. They have a diameter of 7 mm and are sweetly scented. The fruits are round, orange to red, turning black when ripe and are eaten by wild animals. Parasitic plants, such as the mistletoe, Viscum rotundifolium, are often found on the puzzle bush.

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© G Nichols

DistributionThe plant occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including wooded grassland, karroid vegetation and bushveld. In South Africa it occurs throughout the eastern half of the country and also in Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho.

Derivation of nameEhretia was named after an 18th century botanical artist, R.D.Ehret. The Latin word rigida means stiff, referring to the hard leaves.

Other species of the genus in southern Africa are Ehretia amoena, E. obtusifolia, E. alba, E. coerula, E. cymosa and E. namibiensis. Three of these, E. rigida, E. amoena and E. obtusifolia occur in South Africa. Ehretia rigida is further divided into three subspecies, namely, E. rigida subsp. rigida, E. rigida subsp. silvatica and E. rigida subsp. nervifolia, which occurs naturally in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden.

EcologyThe tree is a food source to domestic stock and wild animals, such as the kudu, nyala, bushbuck, impala and grey duiker. Its fruits are eaten by people and many birds such as the Crested Francolin, Helmeted and Crested Guineafowl, Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill, Crested Barbet, bulbuls and starlings.

Uses and cultural aspectsEhretia rigida is very attractive to birds and insects

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and is therefore a wonderful addition to the wildlife garden. It can be pruned to make a shape and can also be used as a hedge in a garden. Ripe fruits of this plant are edible but not tasty. For traditional, medicinal purposes, the roots are powdered and used to treat small cuts in the skin. It is used over the abdomen and chest to relieve pains and is also used to treat gall sickness in cattle. The plant is believed to bring luck to hunters and is also used to protect huts and crops from hail. Hunters use branches of this plant to make hunting bows and fishing baskets because they are strong and flexible.

Growing Ehretia rigida

The puzzle bush is becoming very popular as a garden plant because it is hardy and drought resistant. It can easily grow from seed and cuttings. Use river sand or a mixture of river sand and compost to sow the seedlings. They should be sown in a seedling tray and be covered with a thin layer of sand. Do not sow the seeds too deeply. If they are sown properly, the seeds will take 10-20 days to germinate. Plants should be kept in nursery bags until the next season before they are planted into the ground. The plant has a fast growth rate of about 600-700 mm per year.

Grewia occidentalisCommon Names : Cross-berry, Four-corner (E), Kruisbessie (A), Mokukutu

(Setsw.), Mogwane (N.Sotho), iLalanyathi (Zulu), umSipane (Siswati), umNqabaza (Xhosa), Mulembu (Venda), Nsihana (Tsonga)

Family : Malvaceae

This attractive indigenous shrub may be found in a variety of habitats ranging from arid karoo, coastal dune bush, evergreen montane forest and wooded grasslands. On

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the Highveld, mainly grows in clumps of bush and rocky places, often in the shade of trees - it occurs naturally in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden where it is common and may be found in almost all areas. The natural distribution of the Grewia occidentalis ranges from the Western Cape up to Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This genus is named after Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), an English physician. Occidentalis means from the west.

It is a scrambling deciduous shrub or small tree reaching up to 3m in height. Purple star-shaped flowers (measuring 1.5 to 3cm across) appear in summer (October - January), followed by distinctive four-lobed fruits (hence the common name cross-berry and four-corner). Fruits turns shiny reddish-brown to light purple when ripe (January - May) and may remain on the tree for long periods.

The leaves are alternate and simple with three distinct veins from the base. They are shiny deep green and may be slightly hairy on both surfaces. They are usually held in a horizontal plane towards the light.

Leaves are browsed by cattle, goats and game (black rhino, giraffe, nyala and grey duiker). Ripe fruits are relished by various birds such as louries, mousebirds, bulbuls and barbets as well as certain mammals (including man). Larvae of the rufous-winged elfin butterfly (Eagris nottoana) and buff-tipped skipper (Netrobalane canopus) feed on the leaves of this species.

In certain areas where the sugar content of the fruits is high, they are collected and dried for later use. The dried fruits are sometimes boiled in milk - a bush milkshake! Beer is also brewed from the ripe fruit in certain areas. Other human uses of this species include using the wood to make bows and spear shafts.

The cross-berry is an important species in traditional medicine and is used for a variety of purposes. Bruised bark soaked in hot water is used to treat wounds. Pounded bark, used regularly as a shampoo, was believed to prevent hair from turning grey. Parts of the plant were used to treat impotence and sterility, and root extracts were used to help in childbirth.

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Growing Grewia occidentalis

Grewia occidentalis makes a decorative garden plant which is both frost- and drought-hardy. It will grow well if well-watered and planted in good, composted soil. The cross-berry may be planted in either full sun or shade. The root system is not aggressive and can therefore be planted near buildings and paving. It is a "must-have" species in the garden to attract butterflies and birds.

This species is best propagated from seed. Studies have shown that seed which has passed through the gut of monkeys and baboons germinates better than those collected from a tree. This is due to the fact that the seeds chemical inhibitors have been broken down by the animal's stomach acids. However germination is generally fairly good - so perhaps it is not necessary to find a monkey to assist you with your propagation attempts!

Halleria lucidaFamily: Scrophulariaceae (Snapdragon Family)

Common Names: Tree Fuchsia (E), Notsung (A), umBinza (X)

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Not only is Halleria lucida an attractive tree and an asset to any garden, it is also one of the best bird attracting trees. It is an evergreen tree or large shrub, often multi-stemmed, with a spreading crown and attractive glossy bright green foliage on arching and drooping branches.

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The bark is longitudinally grooved and pale grey and brown in colour. The flowers are tubular, orange to brick-red, or yellow, very rich in nectar and are produced in clusters in the axils of leaves and on short shoots on the old wood, even on the main trunk. When in full flower in autumn to summer (May to December/January) it can be very showy, although the flowers are somewhat hidden amongst the leaves and inside the canopy.

Clusters of 10 mm diameter spherical green berries that turn juicy and black when ripe, follow the flowers (August onwards). These are edible, but never tasty, not even when ripe. They have a sickly sweet taste and tend to dry the mouth. The seeds are very small black flakes in the jelly-like flesh of the fruit.

Halleria lucida is found in coastal and karroid scrub, deep evergreen forest, forest margins, forested ravines, rocky mountain slopes, near rivers and on stream banks from the Cape peninsula in the south in a strip up the eastern coast of South Africa, through the Eastern Cape to Lesotho, the eastern Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland where it turns inland and roughly follows the escarpment into Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Northern and North West Province. It also occurs in isolated pockets in Zimbabwe. In the more exposed situations it is generally a stocky or shrubby tree that reaches a height of 2-5 m but in well watered, protected situations it can reach up to 12 m, and in forests, it can grow up to 20 m in height.

Halleria lucida is a member of the Scrophulariaceae, the snapdragon and foxglove family, a large family of ±290 genera and ±4500 species widespread but mainly in temperate areas and tropical mountains. In southern Africa there are ±80 genera and ±760 species spread throughout the region. Trees are quite rare in this family; most of the members are herbaceous. Two southern African genera that should be familiar to most gardeners are Nemesia and Diascia.

The genus Halleria is named after Albrecht von Haller (1708-77), professor of botany at Gottingen. It is a small genus of ten species that occur in Yemen, Madagascar and Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape peninsula. There are three species in southern Africa that are widespread in all regions and countries except for the Northern Cape and Namibia. The other two species are Halleria elliptica and Halleria ovata. The specific name lucida is Latin for shining/shiny and refers to the foliage. The derivation of the common name notsung is not entirely clear. It could be derived from the original Khoi name. Marloth thought that it was derived from the name nutzeng meaning usufruct (the right of temporary possession of what is another's on condition that such possession causes no damage to it) given to it by early German foresters employed at the Cape, where these foresters had free use of the wood and fruits without need for a permit. The name tree fuchsia was acquired because of its fuchsia-like flowers. It has also been known as the white olive / witolienhout / witolyfhout as the quality of its timber is suggestive of that of the olive.

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The Zulu nation has a strong belief in traditional medicine and they use Halleria lucida for skin and ear complaints. Dry leaves are soaked in water and squeezed into the ear to relieve earache. This tree is also considered to be a charm against evil. The twigs are burnt when offering sacrifices to the ancestral spirits. The plants are set alight each year, the ashes mixed with crocodile fat and this mixture is smeared onto cuttings of Rhamnus prinoides which are then driven into the ground around the village to protect the community from wizardry and lightning. The wood can also be used to start a fire by friction.Halleria lucida timber is light coloured tinged with yellow, hard, heavy and strong, well suited to carpentry, but is not much used because the pieces are small. It was once valued for wagon poles, tools and spear shafts.

Growing Halleria lucida

Halleria lucida has been in cultivation for many years. It was featured by Burman in 1739. William Burchell recorded it in his diary for February 1811 as growing in the Government Gardens in Cape Town, and in 1815 it was illustrated in Curtis' Botanical Magazine from a specimen that was growing in a greenhouse in England.

Halleria lucida is tough and easy to grow, and thrives under many different conditions. It is fast growing, and performs best in well-drained nutrient-rich loam with water provided all year round although it tolerates periods of drought. It is relatively hardy to frost (zone 9: minimum -7 °C/ 20 °F) but requires protection when young. Halleria lucida makes a shapely specimen tree for the smaller garden, and looks at home in the larger landscape, where it can also be planted in groups. It can be used to provide shade, or can itself be planted in shade as an under-storey tree. It can also be used in the fynbos garden. It is suitable for use as an informal hedge, and can be planted in a large container. It is also one of the best bird attracting trees. With Halleria lucida in your garden, the nectar-feeding sunbirds will be one of your most frequent visitors, and the berries will attract fruit-eating birds.

Halleria lucida is easily propagated by seed, and cuttings. It can also be propagated by truncheon cuttings or layering and transplants readily. Young plants may flower for the first time in their second year.Seed is best sown in spring to mid-summer (September to December) or in autumn (March to May), in a standard well-drained seedling mix and covered lightly with coarse sand or milled bark. The trays can be placed over bottom heat

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of 25 °C although this is not essential for germination to occur. Seed should germinate within 6 weeks. Seedlings can be transplanted as soon as they are large enough to handle.Softwood or herbaceous cuttings, or heel cuttings should be taken from actively growing shoots in spring to early summer (September to November) or in autumn (March to May), treated with a rooting hormone and placed in a propagator with intermittent mist and bottom heat of 28 °C. Rooting should occur within 6 weeks, and the newly rooted cuttings require a weaning period of 1 month.

Heteropyxis natalensisFamily: Heteropyxidaceae

Common names: Lavender tree, Laventelboom (A), iNkunzi (Z)

SA Tree Number: 455

The family Heteropyxidaceae, or lavender tree family as it is commonly known, is a small family with only two species in southern Africa. The local genus, Heteropyxis, is characterized by alternate, entire, simple leaves with secretory cavities. These emit a pleasant smell when crushed. The flowers are small and inconspicuous.

The genus name of this plant (Heteropyxis) is made up of two words. Hetero is a Greek word meaning 'different' and pyxis is a Latin word meaning 'the container with the lid'. This refers to the capsule (a fruit) that is sometimes called the pyxidium, because it looks like it has a lid. The species name natalensis refers to its place of origin, KwaZulu-Natal.

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This is a medium to large deciduous tree that grows to about 10 metres high. It occurs naturally on the coastal and inland regions of the KwaZulu-Natal Province. It is also found growing in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

The lavender tree has drooping foliage. The leaves are narrowly elliptic and are arranged spirally. They are shiny dark green above and paler green below, slightly hairy to hairless when mature. When crushed they produce a strong lavender scent. The leaf petiole is slender and pink over the lower half.

The main stem is crooked and sometimes fluted. The bark is distinctively pale grey, often almost white and is flaking on the old stem. The flowers, which are yellowish green, appear in summer (December - March). They are very small, about 3 mm in diameter, and are borne in branched terminal clusters. They are sweetly scented. The fruit is a small oval capsule that is up to 4 x 2.5 mm. It appears between March and May. Its colour is shiny brown and it bears numerous seeds. When ready, it splits into 2 to 3 valves releasing the seeds, after which the old capsules may remain on the tree for months.

This tree has several economic uses. Bark and leaves are browsed by black rhino. Leaves are also used in herbal tea and potpourri. The wood is hard, very fine grained and is pale pinkish brown in colour. It is suitable for use as fencing posts and charcoal. The leaves and roots of this plant are used medicinally and to treat worms in stock. African healers prescribe inhaling the steam from a decoction of the roots to heal a bleeding nose. The roots are also used in the treatment of mental disorders and fresh leaves are used during weaning. The leaves are also used to scent tobacco.

Growing Heteropyxis natalensis

The lavender tree can be grown from seeds. They germinate easily and the young plants are relatively quick growing. Sow the seeds in well-drained moist soil and cover them with a thin layer of compost. Make sure they are kept in a warm area as this promotes rapid germination. This plant can also be propagated by cuttings, although the success rate using this method is very low. Fresh cuttings may be taken and rooted in pure sand. Rooting hormone may be used to help promote rooting.

Heteropyxis natalensis is a very decorative tree for small gardens. With its glossy green leaves and a whitish stem, it makes a very good focal point. The leaves develop rich red autumn colours, adding to the tree's attractiveness. The flowers attract bees, wasps and butterflies.

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Ilex mitisFamily: Aquifoliaceae (holly family)

Common names: African holly, Cape holly, wild holly, watertree (Eng.); waterboom, waterhout, without (Afr.); monamane (Northern Sotho); iPhuphuma (Zulu), umDuma (Xhosa); liBota (Swazi); phukgu, phukgile (Southern Sotho);

mutanzwa-khamelo (Venda)

The African holly has attractive bark and berries. It grows throughout the country, making it suitable for colder, frosty gardens too.

DescriptionAn evergreen tree, between 10 and 25 m tall, with a straight trunk and a rounded canopy. Stems are normally round. Bark on the young tree is a pale grey-brown with patches of white, smooth with fine, transverse ridges and yellow- brown corky specks. As the tree becomes older it becomes evenly whitish grey with dark, and rough spots.

Young twigs are a reddish purple colour. The lance-shaped, simple, alternate leaves are a shiny dark green and are carried on plum-coloured stalks. They are between 70-100 x 19-25 mm, with pointed, sometimes curled tips and wavy, sometimes slightly toothed margins. The plum-coloured leaf stalks help to identify the tree. The midrib is sharply impressed above and prominent below.

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The small flowers are borne in spring or early summer in bunches between the leaf axils. They are white and sweetly scented. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. The forest floor below the trees become carpeted with tiny, white flower petals that are shed as the fruit begins to develop.Fruits ripen on the female trees in autumn, turning bright red, and as these are densely packed along the stems, they provide bright splashes of colour, attracting many kinds of birds. There are several seeds in each fruit that is small and round with a sharp point. Fruiting trees are conspicuous when viewed from above.The wood is close-grained, medium-hard and medium-heavy. It is whitish to grey-green in colour that is easily worked.

DistributionThere are three genera and over 500 species in the holly family, most growing in Asia and tropical America. More than 200 evergreen tree and shrub species belong to the Ilex genus and occur mainly in temperate and subtropical forests. There is only one species in South Africa, Ilex mitis. It is very widely distributed in Africa, growing on the banks of rivers and streams and moist spots in woods and forests. In South Africa it grows in all the provinces as well as in Swaziland and Lesotho.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsIlex is the Latin name for the Holm oak, and mitis means unarmed, alluding to the leaves which are not prominently toothed, unlike some other species in the genus which have sharply spiny leaves, such as the traditional holly, Ilex aquifolium, used in Europe and North America for Christmas decorations.

EcologyA tree of woods and forests, from sea level to high mountains, often found overhanging streams along which it grows. It is variable in size depending on where it is growing. In the forests of Knysna it easily reaches a height of 18 m and may have a trunk diameter of 0.6 m. Brilliant red fruits in autumn attract birds. In the Knysna forests elephants show a particular liking for the leaves.

UsesWhen the leaves are rubbed together they give a lather and this was once used by the Knysna woodcutters to wash themselves in the streams of the forest. The Zulus are

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also aware of this use. This is reflected in their name iPhuphuma which means, 'it foams out'. The Venda name when translated means 'milk-pail washer'. The wood was once used in the construction of wagons for buckboards and occasionally for spokes. It was also in demand for the heels of ladies shoes. It is still used for implement handles and furniture as well as fuel.

Growing Ilex mitis

Fresh seed grows easily. Seed collected from the tree, or those fallen below the tree should be allowed to dry. Trees can be very tall, making collecting off the tree very difficult. They should then be sown into a tray containing a 1:1 mixture of river sand and compost. Seedling mix obtained from nursery centres is also suitable. Seed should be covered lightly with the soil mix and then kept damp. Although germination can be erratic, seeds usually begin to germinate 8-20 days after sowing. The seedlings need to be transplanted into a mix of sand and compost in bags at the two-leaf stage.

It is a fairly fast-growing tree, 0.8 m a year being possible. It transplants well, but needs protection whilst young. It grows best when planted alongside a running stream. It is one of the few indigenous evergreen trees that can cope with frost, making it especially suitable for cold areas. To be sure of fruit, plant a small grove of these trees and remove extra males later.

Pests and diseases: None known.

Indigofera jucundaFAMILY: Fabaceae ( pea family)

COMMON NAMES: River Indigo, Rivierverfbos

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Indigofera jucunda is a scrambling shrub or small graceful tree (1-4m ). The main stem is greyish brown and the leaves are dark green and compound with leaflets, occurring in pairs of 4 to 7 plus a terminal one. Flowers are small, pink or white and sweetly scented. They are borne from December through to April in lovely dainty spikes up to 5cm long. Smooth, reddish-brown cylindrical pods with 8 to 10 seeds each, occur from May to July.

This plant was formerly known by the name Indigofera cylindrica. Botanical investigation in the 1990's found that the name I.cylindrica had been incorrectly applied to this species and that the name was synomous with Indigofera frutescens which is a shorter plant from the fynbos with bright pink, purple flowers in a lax racemes. This popular garden plant received the new name of Indigofera jucunda. Confusion still occurs in the nursery trade over the name of this plant unfortunately and you may find it incorrectly labelled.

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River indigo occurs naturally in riverine forest or scrub and on sandstone outcrops in Transkei and southern Kwazulu-Natal.

Several species of butterflies including the common Lucerne Blue, Lampides boeticus, and the Drakensberg Blue, Lepidochrysops niobe, breed on members of the genus.

Growing Indigofera jucunda

Indigofera is not a striking plant, but it is dainty and showy when in flower, making it an interesting garden subject.

I. jucunda is semi-deciduous and prefers a warm, sunny position in the garden, although it will tolerate semi-shade conditions. It grows easily in good, loamy soil. It will grow easily from seed that should be sown in September and takes from 3 to 6 weeks to germinate. The seedlings should be pricked out and planted in individual containers until they are about 20cm in height. They will flower in the 2nd or 3rd year. These plants may also be propagated by means of cuttings.

More about the pea family

Members of the pea family include a wide range of plants including economically important crops such as beans, peas and clover, as well as herbs, shrubs and a few beautiful flowering trees. The characteristic sweet-pea flowers of this family have a large upper petal (the standard), two side petals (wings) and two lower petals that are fused to form a 'keel' enfolding the stamens and pistil.

The genus Indigofera has a long history in trade because one of the species from the East Indies, I. tinctoria, yields the dye Indigo."Indigo" referring to the colour and the Latin "fero" meaning "to bear". Indigo is one of the oldest colouring agents known to man. The leaves are the main source of the dye but roots are sometimes also used. It gives a light purple to mauve colour or sometimes dark brown or grey, depending on the dyeing time. Natural indigo was originally produced for commercial use through a complicated process of aerobic fermentation and agitation, followed by heating the precipitated sludge, which was then formed into cakes for shipment.

Other species of Indigofera have medicinal uses such as helping with infertility and menstrual cramps. One is even believed to be able to change the sex of a baby before birth. Another species has its twigs used as toothbrushes and it's sap used as mouthwash.

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Indigofera is a large genus of over 800 species, mostly herbs and undershrubs, with two tree-like species. They are to be found in all tropical and subtropical countries with over 200 species in South Africa alone.

Kiggelaria africanaFamily: Achariaceae

Common names: Wild peach, wildeperske (Afr.), umKokoko (Xhosa), uMunwe (Zulu), Monepenepe (North Sotho),

Lekgatsi (South Sotho), Muphatavhafu (Venda)

This tree is said to attract lightning, but some people use it to protect their homes!

DescriptionWell-shaped and reasonably robust, the low-branching, wild peach has smooth, pale grey bark that becomes rough with age. The variable leaves of this evergreen tree may resemble those of the peach. The tiny, bell-shaped flowers which bloom from August to January (spring to summer), are yellow-green, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The hard, round, knobbly, greenish yellow capsule which forms in February to July (late summer to mid-winter) splits to expose shiny black seeds, enclosed in an oily, sticky, bright orange-red coat.

Natural distributionKiggelaria africana is found in coastal and inland forests (where it can reach 20 m), in bushveld and woodland, along streams and on rocky hillsides-'koppies'. It is widely

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distributed in Africa, from Kenya in the north to Western Cape in the south. This is the only species of Kiggelaria in South Africa.

Name derivationIt is named after Franz Kiggelaer, Curator of Simon van Beaumont's garden. The Latin word, africana means 'comes from Africa'.

EcologyThe Crowned Hornbill, Olive Woodpecker, Cape Thrush, Cape Robin, Cape White-eye, Southern Boubou and mousebirds enjoy the colourful fruits. Caterpillars of the Acraea horta butterfly (and A. igola) often strip this tree bare of foliage - one stage in a natural cycle, as the trees quickly recover and put out a nice new set of leaves. Larvae of the Battling Glider also feed on the tree. The Diederik, Redchested, Klaas's and Black Cuckoos love caterpillars, so these beautiful birds will visit the garden.

Uses and cultural aspectsThe hardish, pink-brown wood is a useful general purpose timber (beams, floorboards, furniture). It was once used for the spokes of wagon wheels. Some people believe that touching this tree will attract lightning. But, the South Sotho prepare a medicine from it to protect their kraals.

Growing Kiggelaria africana

Propagate it from seed or cuttings-set out young plants when 30 cm tall to prevent them from becoming pot bound. With good conditions, young plants grow fast and flower when two years old. It makes an excellent screen, forms an effective windbreak, or develops into a large and wide-spreading shade tree (11 m high x 13 m wide) with a non-aggressive root system. It has a natural tendency to branch from low down-prune away the lower branches early on if you want a tree shape.

Reasonably frost-hardy, it likes a moderate amount of water, and a place in the sun. Always add plenty of compost to the

soil when planting, and apply a thick mulch layer (organic material, e.g. dried leaves) to protect the surface of the soil. This tree grows in both summer and winter rainfall areas. It tolerates temperatures ranging from about - 2°C to 36°C.

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Noltea Africana

Noltea is a monotypic genus of flowering plants. The single species, Noltea africana (commonly known as the Soap Bush or Soap Dogwood), is a small, bushy tree of about 4 metres that is endemic to the southern Cape of South Africa, where it grows beside rivers and in pockets of afro-montane forest. It has small, white, mildly fragrant flowers and when it grows larger it assumes a willow shape, with slightly weeping branches. The leaves are long and serrated and the young growth is purple in colour.

The foliage of the "Soap bush" can be used to produce a soapy lather for cleaning, and this tree also conveniently tends to grow near lakes and rivers.

Evergreen Fast growing Frost resistant Likes Sun Attracts Birds Attracts Butterflies

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afromontane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afromontane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa


Olea europaeaFamily: Oleaceae

Common names: Wild olive, olienhout (Afr.), Mohlware (NSotho, SSotho), umNquma (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati), Mutlhwari (Venda), Motlhware (Tswana)

Frost-, drought- and wind-resistant, the wild olive has beautiful wood for furniture, and is regarded as a small-fruited subspecies of the commercial olive.

DescriptionOlea europaea subsp. africana is a neatly shaped evergreen tree with a dense spreading crown (9 x 12 m) of glossy grey-green to dark-green foliage. Leaves are grey-green to dark-green above and greyish below. The rough, grey bark sometimes peels off in strips.

Sprays of tiny, lightly scented white to greenish flowers (October to February) are followed (March to July) by small, spherical, thinly fleshy fruits (either sweet or sour) which ripen purple-

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black.

Natural distributionThis tree is found in a variety of habitats, often near water, e.g. on rocky hillsides, on stream banks and in woodland (where it can reach 12 m). It is widespread in Africa, Mascarene Islands, Arabia, India to China.

Name derivationThe Latin name for olive is olea; europaea = from Europe, and africana = from Africa. There are four species of Olea in South Africa.

EcologyThe fruits are popular with people, monkeys, baboons, mongooses, bushpigs, warthogs and birds (e.g. redwinged and pied starlings, Rameron pigeons, African green pigeons, Cape parrots and louries). Leaves are browsed by game and stock. This tree is an asset on farms and game farms, especially in very dry areas because it is extremely hardy and is an excellent fodder tree.

Uses and cultural aspectsA tea can be made from the leaves. The hard, heavy and beautiful golden-brown wood is used for furniture, ornaments, spoons and durable fence posts. An ink is made from the juice of the fruit. Traditional remedies prepared from this plant serve as eye lotions and tonics, lower blood pressure, improve kidney function and deal with sore throats. The early Cape settlers used the fruits to treat diarrhoea

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Growing Olea europea subsp. africana

Propagate it from seed or from hardwood cuttings. Sow fresh seed in river sand. Treat cuttings with a rooting hormone. The slow-growing frost, drought and wind-resistant wild olive makes a good shade or screen plant in the home garden, on golf courses and elsewhere. It is popular for bonsai, street planting, and for use at schools, office complexes, and in parks. It is perfect for dry areas where it is an excellent fodder plant for stock and game and it has also been used to stabilize erosion dongas/ditches.

Don't plant it too close to walls, patios or swimming pools, the root system can sometimes be aggressive. Always add plenty of compost to the planting area and apply a thick mulch layer (organic material, like dried leaves) to protect the soil surface. Water moderately throughout the year. This tree has a wide distribution in South Africa and grows in both summer and winter rainfall areas. It also occurs in very dry areas, and tolerates temperatures ranging from about - 5°C to 40°C.

Peltophorum africanum

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Family: FabaceaeCommon names:African wattle, weeping wattle, huilboom, isiKhaba-

mkhombe, umSehle, umThoboMosehla, isiKhabakhombe, Nhlanhlanbu, Ndedeze, Mosathia, Musese,

Semi-deciduous to deciduous trees of about 15m with a spreading, untidy canopy. They grows best in well drained soil. In older trees the bark is grooved and grey-brown; bark of young branches is smooth and grey. The leaves are acacia-like and silver-grey covered with fine hair; mature leaves yellowish at tip of branches. the leaves are twice compound with a pair of leaflets at the tip; alternate; up to nine pairs of pinnae each with 10-20 pairs of leaflets; leaf, stalk and rachis covered with reddish brown hairs. The trees have no thorns.

Flowers form upright, showy sprays (150mm long) of bright yellow flowers with crinkled petals on the ends of branches; the stalk covered with reddish brown hairs. These are followed by clusters of thin, flat dark brown/black pods of about 100m, tapering to both ends.

To propagate Peltophorun africanum place fresh seed in hot water and leave overnight. Sow in a 5:1 mix of river sand and compost. The trees are fast growing and drought resistant, but they are frost tender for the first three years.

Uses of Peltophorum africanum

This tree has many uses. Young leaves and pods are eaten by livestock. Flowers provide a high yield of

nectar and pollen for bee-keeping. The timber can be used for furniture. The wood is good good for fuel. It makes a good shade tree for both livestock and humans. There are also various medicinal uses recorded. Roots are used to heal wounds, toothache and throat sores; root, leaves and bark used to clear intestinal parasites and relieve stomach problems; bark relieves colic; stem and root used for diarrhoea and dysentery. It is also used to treat eyes.

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Plumbago auriculataCommon names: Cape Leadwort, Plumbago (English); Blousyselbos (Afrikaans);

umabophe (Xhosa/ Zulu) umasheleshele (Zulu)Family: Plumbaginaeae

Plumbago is an extremely reliable, resilient plant which has been popular for home gardens as well as for commercial landscapes for many years. Plumbago may be found in gardens all over the world, and was apparently popular as a standard plant in Europe.

In nature plumbago is a scrambling shrub, about 3m x 3m. It grows in scrub and thicket (valley bushveld). The new growth is bright green, darker when mature. The leaves are thin in texture and have minute gland dots. The leaf stalk is winged at the base, and clasps the stem. Underneath the leaves are greyish green, sometimes with whitish scales apparently for light reflection.

In summer the bush is covered with pretty trusses of pale sky blue flowers, although there are often flowers at other times of the year. The main flowering period is between November and May. "Royal Cape" is a darker blue form which is available in many nurseries. There is also a white form which is very attractive. It is slightly less vigorous than the normal blue but is a prolific flowerer and wonderful for working gardeners who only see their gardens in the twilight - the white blooms appear to glow in the dusk.

The distribution ranges from the southern Cape, Eastern Cape and into KwaZulu-Natal. It

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appears in Gauteng and the adjacent areas of the Free State and North West Province. There is also an isolated distribution in Mpumalanga. Plumbago shares a habitat with Tecomaria capensis, the Cape Honeysuckle.

The genus Plumbago comprises 10 species from the warmer parts of the world. There are 5 species in South Africa.

The name Plumbago is derived from plumbum meaning lead - referring to it being a supposed cure for lead poisoning. Auriculata means ear shaped and refers to the leaf base. Plumbago auriculata was known as P. capensis, which was the name given by the botanist, Thunberg in 1794. However, the plant had already been named auriculata by Lamarck in 1786 in what was known as the East Indies where it had been taken as a garden plant! The Dutch East India Company trade routes included the Cape and this was most likely how the plant reached the East Indies.

Plumbago is visited by butterflies and is one of the larval foods plant for the common blue butterfly (Cyclyrius pirithous) which is apparently fairly common in gardens as a result of the popularity of plumbago as a garden plant.

Children often make "earrings" with the sticky flowers - letting them stick to their earlobes. There are sticky, gland tipped hairs on the flower calyx. The seed capsule retains the stickiness which presumably helps disperse the seed by attaching to animals. The top of the capsule splits opens and drops the seed out.

Plumbago is used traditionally to treat warts, broken bones and wounds. It is taken as a snuff for headaches and as an emetic to dispel bad dreams. A stick of the plant is placed in the thatch of huts to ward off lightning.

Growing Plumbago auriculata

Plumbago makes a very good informal or formal hedge as it responds well to pruning. It will flower profusely after being cut back or after a growth flush, as it bears flowers on new wood. It may need to be cut back after winter to keep it tidy, even if this is only done every few years. Plumbago will scramble into trees if allowed and, depending on the size and style of your garden, you may need to control it. It is very useful in large gardens and landscapes as it forms suckers and will cover fairly big areas. It is fast growing, drought resistant and rewarding and will grow in any soil but will perform best if planted with plenty of compost. Plumbago is somewhat frost tender but will quickly

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re-grow if damaged.

A relatively recent South African trend is to attract birds and other wildlife to gardens by creating the right habitat. Plumbago makes a good, fast growing "exclusion zone" or bush-clump plant for attracting birds such as robins which like dense plant growth.

Plumbago is propagated easily from seed, cuttings and suckers. Sow seed in spring in seedling trays. Use good seedling mix and cover the seeds lightly. Do not allow to dry out. The easiest method of propagation is to remove rooted suckers from the mother plant.

Podocarpus falcatusFamily: Podocarpaceae (yellowwood family)

Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood, Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umSonti (Zulu).

National tree list no. 16

This fast-growing, majestic yellowwood with its elegant shape is certainly a tree for all seasons and all gardens. It is an excellent container plant and can also be decorated and

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used as an indoor Christmas tree.

The new flush of bluish-grey leaves in spring contrast beautifully against the older, dark green, mature leaves. The plant belongs to the Gymnospermae division of seed-bearing plants, differing from Angiospermae by the fact that the ovules are not enclosed in carpels-they are naked. Podocarpaceae is one of only seven Gymnosperm families found in South Africa, and this tree is protected.

Description This tall, evergreen tree can reach a height of 45 m in nature but luckily never reaching that great height in garden cultivation.

The bark is interesting, being smooth and ridged on younger stems and peeling off in flakes on the older trees.

The leaves are arranged spirally, with parallel veins and smooth margins. The leaf tip is sharply pointed.

Male and female cones occur on different trees. The large, yellow, fleshy fruits take a year to ripen and hang from the branches in clusters.

Natural distribution This tree occurs from the southern Cape, northwards to the Limpopo and also eastwards to Mozambique.

Name derivationPodos = foot, and karpos = fruit (Greek), allude to the fruits of these trees being borne on fleshy stalks; falcatus = sickle-shaped (Latin) alludes to the leaves.It must be noted some schools of thought regard this particular species as Afrocarpus falcatus. More on this topic can be read in Leistner et al. (1995).

Ecological valueRipe fruits are eaten by bats, bushpigs, fruit-eating birds (Cape parrots, purple-crested, Knysna and Ross's louries, Rameron, African green and Delagorgue's pigeons). The large, dense crown is often a roosting and nesting site for various birds.

Uses and economic value

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The wood is used extensively for furniture, roof beams, floorboards, door and window frames and boat building. Some of the famous yellowwood antiques seen throughout South Africa were made from the wood of this specific tree. The straight stems of these trees were once used for the topmasts of ships. The bark is used for tanning leather. Podocarpus falcatus could make an ideal indigenous substitute for the exotic pine trees currently being used in plantations; trials done at a forest station at Magoebaskloof showed that the yield is similar, with the growth rate and quality of the wood comparing favourably to that of commercial pine. The ripe fruit is edible and very resinous. The sap is used as a remedy for chest complaints.

Growing Podocarpus falcatus

Remove the fleshy part of the fruit (cone) to expose the seed. This process is very important as the fleshy part contains an inhibitor, which seems to suppress germination. The fresh seed can be sown directly into black nursery bags or into deep seed trays using a mixture of well-rotted compost and washed sand (1:1). The seed must be pushed and bedded into the mixture and covered with a light layer of soil. The mixture must stay moist at all times. Some of the seed may take up to six months to germinate, so be patient. Seedlings can be pricked out at a height of 50-80 mm and planted into bags or pots. Care must be taken not to damage the taproot as this may slow the initial growth rate of the plant.

Podocarpus henkeliiFamily: Podocarpaceae (Yellowwood Family)

Common names: Henkel's Yellowwood (Eng), Henkel-se geelhout (Afr), UmSonti (Zulu)

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This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With its dense glossy foliage, it makes a most elegant pyramid of green in the garden.

In its natural environment Podocarpus henkelii is a tall to very tall, straight stemmed forest tree, reaching 20 to 30 m in height. In time, its trunk can grow to massive proportions, reaching over 1m in diameter, becoming fluted and spirally twisted with age. It is an evergreen tree with a dark grey to pale grey-brown, longitudinally fissured bark. In older trees this bark sometimes peels off in large pieces, exposing a red-brown under-surface.

It has grey and ridged branchlets and the young shoots are pale green and angular. The leaves are simple, short stalked, lanceolate-oblong, 9-12cm long, sharp pointed, with entire and slightly revolute (rolled under) margins. They are spirally arranged, often crowded at the end of the branchlets, and more or less pendulous. The longer, droopy leaves make it easy to distinguish this species from the other yellowwoods growing in South Africa. Podocarpus henkelii has straight or somewhat falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, hence it was once called the falcate yellowwood. This name had to be dropped

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because it was confused with Podocarpus falcatus, the Outeniqua yellowwood. The leaves of Henkel's yellowwood are bright green to bluish green and glossy above, dull green with a prominent midrib below. The young leaves are pale green and soft.

This handsome tree is dioecious, i.e. it has male and female reproductive organs on separate plants. Yellowwoods belong to a primitive group of plants called the Gymnospermae. Gymnosperms, often called conifers, are cone-bearing plants, distinguished from the other major plant group, the Angiospermae or flowering plants, as their ovules and resultant seeds are borne unprotected in the cone whereas in angiosperms the ovules and seeds are protected in an ovary. Other gymnosperms include cycads, pines and cypresses. Male Podocarpus henkelii cones are erect, pink, and 2-3cm long and are solitary or in clusters of up to 5. Female cones are solitary, but shortly stalked. The seed is large and roundish and 1,5-2cm in diameter and olive green to yellowish green when ripe.

Seed is dispersed by birds. Large old yellowwood trees form the perferred nesting sites of the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) and the kernels of the seeds are a major source of food for this bird.

Podocarpus henkelii is found from the former Transkei in the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It is most abundant in moist inland forest, locally common in montane forest of the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg. The largest concentrations of Podocarpus henkelii are found in areas between Mt Ayliff, Kokstad and Harding.

Podocarpus henkelii is moderately drought-resistant and frost hardy. This is a highland forest species that grows best on moist sites with high rainfall and deep doleritic soils.

This tree is protected by SA Forestry Legislation as well as Nature Conservation Legislation.

Podocarpus henkelii was named after Dr JS Henkel (1871-1962) a conservator for forests in the Cape Province and KwaZulu-Natal, and later director of forestry in Zimbabwe. He was the first to recognise that this is not a variety of Podocarpus latifolius but a distinct species. The genus name is derived from Greek words podos a foot and karpos a fruit, referring to the fleshy fruit-stalks in some species.

There are nearly100 species in this genus, found mainly in the montane forest of the tropics and sub-tropics and at lower altitudes in temperate regions mainly in the southern hemisphere. There are four species in southern Africa, distributed in Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. At Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden we have good specimens of all four southern African species: Podocarpus henkelii, Podocarpus elongatus, Podocarpus falcatus and Podocarpus latifolius.

South African yellowwoods

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Podocarpus henkelii(Henkel's yellowwood)

Podocarpus elongatus(Breede River yellowwood)

Podocarpus latifolius(Real yellowwood)

Podocarpus (Afrocarpus) falcatus(Outeniqua yellowwood)

The yellowwoods in general are regarded as South Africa's national tree, although sometimes Podocarpus latifolius is singled out for this honour. Wood, especially that from P. falcatus and P. latifolius is prized for furniture making and was used extensively in the past for floor and ceiling boards.

Growing Podocarpus henkelii

Podocarpus henkelii is a very neat decorative tree suitable for both home gardens and large landscapes. It makes and excellent specimen tree for lawns and is a good choice for an avenue. Podocarpus henkelii is also suited for formal gardens, as it can be pruned to

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the desired shape. It can also be left to achieve an informal finish.

Seed collection from this tree is a struggle as the fungal disease black coral spot destroys many of the seeds. The seed that falls during the first 2-3 weeks is always highly infested, only the seed collected afterwards is good. The seed is perishable and must be kept in cold storage after collection. Under normal nursery conditions, seed germination takes 2 months. The germination period can be shortened by placing the seed trays on bottom-heated benches.

Podocarpus henkelii grows best in deep and moist, sandy or loamy soil. It can tolerate less favourable sites, but then grows very slowly. Judicious application of organic fertiliser will speed up growth.

Podocarpus latifoliusFamily : Podocarpaceae

Common names : real yellowwood ( Eng. ); opregte geelhout (Afr.); Umkhomba (Xhosa); Mogobagoba (Northern Sotho); Muhovho-hovho ( Venda ); Umsonti (Zulu)

The real yellowwood is one of South Africa 's most valued timber trees. It is also South Africa 's National Tree.

DescriptionPodocarpus latifolius is a slow-growing, usually large, evergreen tree, which grows to between 20 and 30 m in height. Under some conditions, the tree does not grow more than about 2 m but looks very old and full of character.

The wood is yellow and quite similar to P. falcatus, the Outeniqua yellowwood, although not as dark or of the same quality. The bark is greyish and smooth when young but shows the characteristic longitudinal fissures as it matures. The bark peels off in strips.

The glossy green leaves are long and narrow. The leaves on young trees are always larger than on mature trees. The new leaves are very noticeable as they form clusters of pale green or bronze at the ends of branches, compared to the dark green of the older leaves.

There are male and female trees. The male cones (July to September) resemble catkins (an inflorescence adapted for wind pollination, found on the exotic Betula species, for example) while the female tree develops round, grey/blue

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seeds on thickened, fleshy, stalks known as receptacles, which as they mature, turn purple (December to February).

Status All the species of Podocarpus are protected in South Africa . In the past, they were so sought after as timber trees, that from being an abundant resource they became almost extinct in some areas. Yellowwood furniture commands high prices today because of its rarity.

Distribution and Habitat The real yellowwood grows naturally in mountainous areas and forests in the southern, eastern and northern parts of South Africa, extending into Zimbabwe and further north. It is also found on rocky hillsides and mountain slopes but does not get as tall where it is exposed as it does in the forests.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsThe genus and species names are derived from Greek words, podo which means foot, carpus which means fruit, lati which means wide and folius which means leaf. Podocarpaceae is a small cone-bearing family, which, along with the indigenous cedars, represent the small number of coniferous tree species indigenous to South Africa.

EcologyWhen the berry-like receptacles ripen, birds such as pigeons and turacos feed on them. They are also eaten by monkeys, bushpigs and sometimes by people.

Uses and cultural aspectsThe real yellowwood has apparently been used more than any other South African timber. Floors in the old Cape homesteads were made of this wood. The soft yellow colour of the wood contrasts beautifully with the dark-coloured stinkwood ( Ocotea bullata ) and these two timbers were often used together to make furniture. The real yellowwood was used a lot for tables and cupboards, as it polishes up very well. The South African Railways used to use the timber to make railway sleepers. In the old days it was used to make wagon boxes. Coffins were often made of it too. An unusual

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use was that of a butcher's block because the wood is hard and did not chip easily. It also has no scent, so it did not taint the meat.

The real yellowwood is slow-growing, but very long-lived and it is able to withstand some frost. The unusual textural appearance of the leaves makes it a good contrast or background for other trees. The colourful receptacles of the female tree are most attractive. This tree would make an interesting container plant and can withstand short periods indoors. The leaf size and interesting bark are good characteristics for bonsai.

Growing Podocarpus latifolius

Seed should be cleaned and sown fresh in a mix of sand and compost. Do not allow it to dry out or germination will be poor. The seed may be parasitized if collected from the ground below the tree. Transplant with care and avoid damaging the taproot. The expected growth rate in cultivation is quite slow, but this depends on conditions. It will grow better with good soil, water and shelter from strong winds. It does not usually grow as tall in cultivation as it would in its forest habitat, especially if not given a good water supply.

Searsia lanceaFamily: Anacardiaceae

Common Names: Karee (English), Karee or Rooikaree (Afrikaans), mokalabata, Monhlohlo, Motshakhutshakhu (Northern Sotho), iNhlangutshane (Siswati),

Mosinabele, Mosilabele (South Sotho), Mosabele, Mosilabele (Tswana), Mushakaladza (Venda), umHlakotshane (Xhosa).

National Tree List No. 386

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The karee is a small to medium sized evergreen tree that usually grows to a height of 7 m and a width of 7 m but can be larger depending on environmental factors.

It is usually a single-stemmed, low branching tree which has a dense, soft, round canopy. The karee has a course 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 on them and the margins of the leaves are entire. The leaves are leathery and are often sickle shaped.

The small, inconspicuous flowers are presented as much-branched sprays which are greenish-yellow in colour and are produced from June until September. The male and female flowers occur on separate trees. The fruit are small (up to 5mm in diameter), round, slightly flattened and covered with a thin fleshy layer which is glossy and yellowish to brown when ripe. The fruits are produced from September until January.

Searsia was named after Paul B. Sears (1891-1990) who was head of the Yale School of Botany, and lancea refers to the lance shaped leaflets.

The karee occurs naturally in Acacia woodland and along drainage lines, rivers and streams. It is often found growing on lime rich substrates. The karee occurs from Zambia

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in the north to the Western Cape in the south. It is found throughout the Freestate and in parts of all the other provinces of South Africa except for KwaZulu-Natal.

The fruit is eaten by birds such as bulbuls, guineafowl and francolins. Game animals such as kudu, roan antelope and sable browse the leaves of the tree which can serve as an important food source for them in times of drought. The sweetly scented flowers attract bees and other insects to them. Searsia lancea is useful in providing natural soil stabilisation and increasing infiltration of rainwater into the soil thus reducing erosion and raising the ground water table.

The leaves of the karee provide valuable fodder for livestock but can taint the flavour of milk if eaten in large quantities by dairy cattle as a result of the resin contained in them. The tree is also an important source of shade for livestock in certain regions. The bark, twigs and leaves provide tannin. In the past the hard wood was used for fence posts, tool handles and parts of wagons. Bowls, tobacco pipes and bows were also made from the wood. The fruits are edible and were once used as an important ingredient of mead or honey beer. The word karee is said to be the original Khoi word for mead.

Growing Searsia lancea

The karee is an excellent shade tree especially in hot regions such as the Karoo and Kalahari since it is evergreen and drought resistant. Searsia lancea does not have an aggressive root system and can be used near paving and tarred surfaces. Because the karee is hardy, frost resistant and evergreen, it is ideal for establishing a protective canopy for frost sensitive and shade loving plants. It could thus be considered as a possible pioneer plant for establishing a new forest in an area that receives frost. Searsia lancea is suitable for use as a large hedge along the boundaries of properties such as farms because of its dense growth habit. The density of the plant makes it suitable for use as a screen or barrier against wind, noise, objectionable views or to provide privacy. The karee can adapt well to different soils including those that are poorly drained (which means that it can be planted almost anywhere). Searsia lancea is therefore ideally suited for use as a street tree. Aesthetically the karee is a graceful tree possessing a willow-like appearance due to its drooping habit and this makes it suitable for use near water e.g. next to a water garden, dam or river.

Searsia lancea can be propagated easily from seed, cuttings or layers. The ripe seed should be sown in seedling trays using a good seedling medium and transplanted into bigger containers when the seedlings reach the two leaf stage. Cuttings can be taken using young growth from September till October. The tree can grow up to 80 cm a year and is thus fairly fast growing. Because the tree is both drought and frost resistant it does not require any special attention once it has established its root system.

Historical aspects Most of the species grown in southern Africa, belonging to the genus Rhus, have been placed in Searsia. In southern Africa there are about 111 species of Searsia. Searsia lancea belongs to the family Anacardiaceae (the Mango family) which is the fourth largest tree family in southern Africa. This family is composed of at least 80 native tree species. Searsia is easy to recognise, as the leaves are all trifoliate and have a resinous

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smell when crushed. Common edible fruit and seeds that belong to this family include the mango, pistachio nut and cashew nut. The resinous substance is poisonous in many species such as poison ivy.

Searsia leptodictya

Family: Anacardiaceae (mango family)Common names : mountain karee, rock karee ( Eng. ); bergkaree, klipkaree (Afr.);

inHlangushane (siSwati); Mohlwehlwe (Northern Sotho)

The mountain karee is an essential 'bird-garden' tree, which also makes a good frost-hardy, and drought-tolerant shade tree. Another special feature is that an intoxicating drink can be made of the fruit!

Description Searsia leptodictya is a shrub or small tree with an irregularly rounded crown. It sometimes has arching branches, which may give it character in a garden. It can reach up to 9 m but is usually a rather scrubby bush of about 3 to 4 m. The bark is rough and dark brown (somewhat like the karee,Searsia lancea ).

As with most other Seawrsia species the leaves are divided into three leaflets. These are thinly textured, bright green, narrow and have toothed margins. If the leaves are crushed, they release a resiny smell. In colder areas, the leaves fall in winter. A useful way to distinguish the mountain karee from other, similar Searsia species is that the two lateral leaflets are at right

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angles to the terminal one. It is also worth noting that cross-pollination between species occurs, especially in cultivation where several Searsia species may be planted together, out of their natural range. Seedlings with a confusing mix of features then appear in the garden.

The flowers are minute, yellowish and carried in sprays from about December to April. Male and female flowers occur on separate trees. The fruits are tiny drupes (which are single-seeded stone fruit such as plums and cherries) that have a flattened, squarish look. The clusters of fruit have an attractive, almost multicoloured appearance varying from yellow to red-brown. They appear from about March to June. S. leptodictya grows quickly (apparently up to 1 m per year) which is part of its popularity as a cultivated plant.

Distribution and Habitat Its natural distribution stretches across the four northern provinces in South Africa and includes the northern Free State . It is also found in Swaziland, Botswana , Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The mountain karee grows naturally in a variety of habitat types including woodland, forest margins and bushveld. In most cases it prefers rocky hillsides within the habitat. It is frost resistant and also fairly drought resistant which is demonstrated by the fact that the Witwatersrand lies within its distribution and here the winters are cold and dry.

Derivation of name and historical aspectsSearsia was named after Paul B. Sears (1891-1990) who was head of the Yale School of Botany and dentata is derived from Latin meaning deeply toothed. The specific epithet, leptodictya, refers to the fine network of veins on the leaf.

Most of the species grown in southern Africa, belonging to the genus Rhus, have been placed in Searsia. In southern Africa there are about 111 species of Searsia. Searsia leptodictya is a member of the economically important mango family which has about 200 species world-wide. It has about 75 to 80 trees and shrubs in southern Africa, which makes it one of the largest tree families in the region. The family includes an African icon, the marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea) of southern and tropical Africa . In South Africa, mango fruit production (Mangifera indica from India and South East Asia) is an important part of the agricultural economy of the hot,

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low-lying regions such as the province of Limpopo. Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera) and the cashew (Anacardium occidentale) are also exotic members of the mango family which have economic significance. Other alien species within the family are important in South Africa because of their invasive nature. These are from South America, namely the pepper tree, (Schinus molle) and the Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius ).

EcologyGame animals such as giraffe, eland, blue duiker and kudu feed on the mountain karee. While the tree is in fruit, it is alive with birds such as bulbuls, barbets, white-eyes and mousebirds. I have also seen Karoo thrushes performing rather ridiculous-looking, almost balletic leaps from the ground to reach low-hanging trusses of fruit. Birds disperse the seed when it passes through the gut, usually once the bird has moved on elsewhere.

Uses and cultural aspectsDomestic animals feed on the tree during times of drought and this apparently does not cause as much tainting of milk, which occurs when stock feed on Searsia lancea. Beer is made from fermenting the fruit, which are edible but sour. Small household articles can be made from the wood. It is commonly used as a street tree as it does not have an aggressive root system.

Growing Searsia leptodictya

The mountain karee is a very good tree for attracting birds to the garden. Apart from the abundant fruit crop, it is quite "twiggy" and dense and offers hiding places. Remember that you will need to plant a female tree for fruit! Your nursery may be able to help you tell the difference if their trees are in flower. If you have the space, planting several might ensure that you get at least one female. The mountain karee will need to be pruned into a tree shape in the first few years by removing low-growing branches. Alternatively, in a medium to large garden, it may by included as a shrub in an "exclusion zone" (a dense planting that keeps out people and pets!) which helps attract the shyer species of garden birds.

Serasia leptodictya should be grown from seed during summer. The seed needs to be

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removed from the pulp after harvesting. The seed can be soaked during the night before sowing to help with germination. Sow in seedling trays and cover lightly with sand. It has a good germination rate but the trays should not be allowed to dry out. When the young plants have two leaves they may be transplanted into bags.

Although the mountain karee is able to survive drought and frost in most types of soil (well-drained is best) it would encourage a larger, more stately specimen if water were provided during establishment. Also the addition of fertilizers, such as super-phosphates, at planting and good, composted soil will be a good investment. A full sunny position would be best but light shade is tolerated.

Tarchonanthus camphoratusCommon name: Camphor bush (E), Moologa (V), Mofahlana (S.sotho), Igqeba

emlimhlophe (Z), Wildekanferbos (A), Mofathla (T)Family: Asteraceae

South African Tree Number 733

This interesting small tree with its attractive grey foliage is particularly suited to tough conditions. From sites blasted by wind and coastal sea spray to dry inland gardens, it performs well. It is even able to shoot from the base if burnt almost to the ground. If you are looking for a survivor for your difficult landscape site- this is it!

The name Tarchonanthus is derived from the Greek word meaning funeral flower. This name is divided into two parts, 'Tarchos', which means funeral rites and 'Anthos' meaning flower. It is unclear why this name was given, but Jackson (1990) suggests it may have to

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do with the camphorous smell. The namecamphoratus refers to the strong smell of camphor given off when the leaves are crushed.

The camphor bush is widespread in Southern Africa. It grows in thickets of bushveld, grassland, forest and semi-desert. It grows mostly in sandy soils in the low-lying and sand forest of the coast.

Tarchonanthus camphoratus grows from 2-9m high. It is a semi-deciduous small tree that grows mostly in large uniform groups, but it grows larger and more densely when it grows alone among other trees in the bush. The branches and foliage make a V-shaped canopy. The stem is covered with pale brown bark. Leaves are grey green above and pale grey and felted underneath, with prominent venation on the underside. The leaves are narrow, with entire or finely toothed margins.

The creamy-white flowers are borne in a branched inflorescence on the terminal end of the branch. The fruits are covered with fluffy cottonwool-like hairs, and are produced mostly in March to November. These woolly, white fruiting heads are strongly scented and most attractive. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees.

The camphor bush is used for medicinal purposes. Problems such as blocked sinuses and headache can be healed by inhaling the smoke from the burning green leaves. Drinking boiled mixture of leaves and water can help to treat coughing, toothache, abdominal pain and bronchitis. Leaves can also be used for massaging body stiffness and also as a perfume. The cottonwool like seedheads were used to stuff cushions.

Animals such as kudu, giraffe, impala and springbok browse the leaves of this tree.

There are only a few species of Tarchonanthus. T trilobus is also in cultivation. The genus occurs in Africa and Arabia. It is closely related to Brachylaena, which also provides attractive, grey-leafed, small trees for the garden..

Growing Tarchonanthus camporatus

This tree can be used in the garden for areas with severe frost and drought. It is also an excellent tree for creating tall hedges or windbreaks in coastal gardens and for binding sand dunes. It provides a good shape and it can be also used as a bonsai specimen.

Propagate this tree from seed, which may take 8 weeks to germinate. It may also be propagated by softwood cuttings. Young plants transplant fairly easily. The tree requires no special nurturing.

Tecoma capensisFamily name: Bignoniaceae

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Common names: Cape honeysuckle (E), Malangula (Swazi), umsilingi (Xhosa)

Cape honeysuckle is a fast growing, scrambling shrub which may grow up to 2-3m high and spread more than 2.5m. This shrub is widely distributed throughout Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Cape coast and Mozambique. Until recently it was known as Tecomaria capensis.Tecoma capensis is an evergreen plant in warm climate areas but loses its leaves in colder areas. It has pinnately compound leaves that have oval leaflets with blunt teeth. Flowering time for this shrub is very erratic and often it flowers all year round. Flowers vary from red, deep orange, yellow to salmon. Flowers are tubular and bird pollinated, attracting nectar-feeding birds, especially sunbirds.

Tecoma capensis is an ornamental garden plant commonly used for screening and decorative purposes. It can also be trimmed to form a hedge. It is often planted specifically to attract birds and butterflies. The powdered bark of this attractive garden plant is used as a traditional medicine to relieve pain and sleeplessness.

Growing Tecoma capensis

Tecoma capensis is widely cultivated and very easy to propagate. It can be propagated

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from cuttings or by removing rooted suckers during the active growth phase. In frosty areas young plants should be protected. Cape honeysuckle can be planted in semi-shade to full sun. To keep this shrub clean and tidy, it must be pruned back in late winter to promote new growth and flowers. The application of a balanced fertilizer after pruning will enhance the growth and flowering.

Ziziphus mucronataFamily: Rhamnaceae

Common names: buffalo thorn (Eng.); blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie (Afr.); umPhafa, umLahlankosi, isiLahla (isiZulu); umPhafa (isiXhosa); umLahlabantu (Swazi); mokgalo (Tswana); mutshetshete (Venda); mphasamhala (Tsonga); mokgalô,

moonaona (N Sotho)National Tree No.: 447

Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-'n-bietjie tree represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag, indicating that life is not always straightforward. Two thorns at the nodes are also significant; one facing backward represents where we come from and one facing forward, represents where we are going.

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Description Ziziphus mucronata is a small to medium-sized tree, 3-10(-20) m high; with a spreading canopy. The main stem is green and hairy when young; year old branches often zigzag; the bark is reddish brown or roughly mottled grey, cracked into small rectangular blocks, revealing a red and stringy under-surface. Young stems are reddish brown.

Leaves are simple, alternate; ovate or broadly ovate; vary enormously in size from tree to tree, 30-90 x 20-50 mm, tapering or often mucronate apex, base strongly asymmetrical, cordate to rounded on one side; margin finely serrated, often badly eaten by insects, glossy green above, slightly hairy and paler below; 3- to 5-veined from the base; veins covered with fine hairs when young; petiole up to 20 mm long; stipules, when present, take the form of small thorns at the nodes, one straight and one hooked. Leaves turn golden yellow in autumn. Flowers are borne in dense clusters in leaf axils; green to yellow; ± 4mm in diameter; inconspicuous (October-February). The fruit is a smooth, shiny, leathery, spherical drupe, 12-20 mm in diameter, reddish-brown or deep red when ripe, slightly sweet, the pulp is dry. The fruit sometimes stays on the plant long after the leaves have fallen (March-August). The seeds are usually solitary, elliptic and compressed.

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Red Data status : Not evaluated (NE).

Geographic distribution The buffalo thorn is distributed throughout the summer rainfall areas of sub-Saharan Africa, extending from South Africa northwards to Ethiopia and Arabia.

Natural habitat Ziziphus mucronata grows in areas dominated by thorny vegetation in both temperate and tropical climates. It is also found in a wide range of habitats such as woodlands, open scrubland, on rocky koppies, open grasslands, on a variety of soils along streams, nutrient-rich valley bottoms and forest margins. It reaches its largest size on the margins of scrub forest and on deep, alluvial soils near water. Its presence is said to indicate the presence of underground water.

Derivation of name and historical aspects The ancient Greeks called the tree zizyphon, from the Arabic zizouf, a name for the mythical lotus. This was taken into Latin as zizyphum, or zizypha for the fruits. The species name mucronata is Latin meaning pointed, probably referring to its thorns or the apex of its leaves. The stipular thorns at the nodes give the tree its common Afrikaans name of wag-'n-beetjie. For all their smallness, these thorns are extremely vicious, and all those who have come into contact with them,will know that you have to wait-a-bit if you want to free yourself from them.

There are 49 genera and 900 species in the family Rhamnaceae (Simpson 2006). The genus Ziziphus includes some 86 species, of which the one discussed here is among the commonest and best known trees of southern Africa. Another well-known species in this genus is Z. mauritiana, the ber or jujube tree, the fruits of which are often found in shops which sell Asian foodstuffs.

Historically, the genus is of interest. Christ's crown of thorns is supposed to have been made from Ziziphus spina-christi Willd., a species which closely resembles Z. mucronata but which grows from central Africa northwards (Palmer & Pitman 1972).

EcologyAlthough the fruit of Ziziphus mucronata cannot be counted as very tasty, the tree

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itself plays an important role ecologically. The leaves and fruit are sought after by birds of many species, wild animals and domestic stock. Giraffes are known to be especially fond of the leaves of this tree. Impala often feed on the dead leaves lying under the tree. Its inconspicuous, green to yellow flowers produce abundant nectar and often yield a good honey.

© Geoff Nichols

Medicinal and cultural uses A decoction of the glutinous roots is commonly administered as a painkiller for all sorts of pains as well as dysentery. A concoction of the bark and the leaves is used for respiratory ailments and other septic swellings of the skin. Pastes of the root and leaves can be applied to treat boils, swollen glands, wounds and sores. Steam baths from the bark are used to purify and improve the complexion (Palmer & Pitman 1972). In East Africa, roots are used for treating snake bites (Hutchings et al. 1996). All of the above can be attributed to the peptide alkaloids and antifungal properties isolated from the bark and leaves.

The berries are edible and were used by residents in the former Transvaal in making porridge or as a coffee substitute. The fruit can also make a beer if fermented properly. During the Anglo-Boer war, the seeds were ground and used as a coffee substitute.

Africans have many beliefs and superstitions attached to this tree. Zulus and Swazis use the buffalo thorn in connection with burial rites. It was once customary that when a Zulu chief died, the tree was planted on his grave as a reminder or symbol of where the chief lies. Hence the name umLahlankosi- that which buries the chief. A twig from the tree was and is still used to attract and carry the spirit of the deceased from the place of death to the new resting place. When a stock owner died, and was buried according to custom, within the cattle or goat kraal, some branches were placed on the grave so that the animals nibbled on leaves and twigs, and so understood that their master had died (Palmer & Pitman 1972). In other parts, Africans drag a branch round the village to protect it from evil spirits, as it is believed to keep evil spirits away.

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In Botswana as well as most parts of South Africa, the residents believed the buffalo thorn to be immune against lightning, anyone standing under one in a storm would be safe. It is also believed that if it is felled in summer, a drought, hail or lightning will certainly follow.

Wood from this tree is used for timber, wagon making and fence posts as it yields a yellow, fine-grained, heavy wood which contains 12.2-15.7% tanning matter (Watt & Brandwijk 1962). The elasticity of the shoots makes it suitable for bows and whip sticks. Some African tribes use the thorny branches to make kraals or hedges. This protects their livestock from lions and other predators.

Growing Ziziphus mucronata

The species is very easily raised from seed or cuttings, growing in just about any soil type and withstanding heat and cold equally well.

The seed however has poor keeping properties and should be sown fresh. After cleaning the nut, it can be placed between the jaws of a vice or a normal nutcracker and closed gradually until the nut cracks and seed is released. The seeds can then be covered with hot water, allowed to cool, soaked for two days and sown.

Seedlings should appear within one to two weeks. Seedlings and small plants need moderate water, full sun and efficient drainage or they will damp off. Even though this plant is said to be one of the most adaptable trees, growing in all types of soil and having the ability to withstand intense heat, cold and drought, the same cannot be said for the seedlings. As with most plants, immunity is acquired with increased stature. Small trees are often available at nurseries selling indigenous plants.

While slow-growing (0.3 m or less per annum), it makes a pleasant shade tree and gives life to the garden by luring birds and insects such as butterflies, beetles and bees.

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References

For more information about the trees please visit PlantZAfrica: http://www.plantzafrica.com/ which has been made available by the

South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa.

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http://www.plantzafrica.com/

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