On the 18th of September, the team at the Garden Route Botanical Gardens in George hosted a day of tree planting – honouring the gift that mother nature extends to us in the form of trees by planting trees.
Precious Tree Project, in collaboration with Jon Morley’s Tour de Burn project, donated a range of indigenous forest trees and Keurboom seeds on the day to assist them with their passionate restoration and reforestation efforts. Our enthusiastic team of volunteers joined in with those of the Botanical Gardens to plant out 143 precious trees on the day. Thank you!
The Wild Olive tree is found in a variety of different natural habitats, more often near water, rocky hillsides, on stream banks and in woodland areas in South Africa. Its scientific name is derived from Latin – olea meaning “olive”, europaea meaning “from Europe” and africana meaning “from Africa”.
There are four known species of the oleaceae family in South Africa and the Wild Olive is a sub-species of the commercial olive tree. Evergreen, drought resistant and highly resistant to disease, the Wild Olive is regarded as one of the hardiest of the indigenous tree species found naturally occurring in the Garden Route.
Notes:
a. Bear in mind when harvesting any indigenous tree to do so sustainably. Different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below).
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
Scientific name: Tarchonanthus camphoratus L. Family: Asteraceae. Common names: Camphor Bush (English), Wildekanferbos (Afrikaans), Moologa (Venda), Mofahlana (S.Sotho), Igqeba Emlimhlophe (Zulu), Mofathla (Tsonga).
The heavily scented Tarchonanthus camphoratus is a semi-deciduous small tree that grows mostly in large uniform groups, with the tendency to grow larger and more dense when in the presence of other trees. It is widely distributed in a variety of habitats – including forests, thickets of bushveld, grassland and semi-desert regions – across southern parts of Africa, from the southern Cape to Kenya. Drought resistant and fast growing, the Camphor Bush is heavily relied on by game as a source of food in extremely dry periods.
Notes:
a. Bear in mind when harvesting any indigenous tree to do so sustainably. Different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below).
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
One of the incredible benefits of planting out bio-mimicked forest patches and assisting the reforestation process of the indigenous forests in the Garden Route region is the value this brings to our wildlife, particularly i.t.o assisting their survival rates. As one of the few natural forest biomes in South Africa, our Garden Route forests are home to many species of our four-legged wildlife: the region is a well-known haven to the Knysna elephant, rooikat, leopard, bushbuck, vervet monkeys, porcupines, baboons, etc. Not to mention the bird, reptile and insect populations that thrive when the forests are healthy. A haven is more than a safe space for our circulating wildlife, it is also a fundamental ongoing source of food for them, from the forest trees themselves and from the forest floors.
Factors including the rapid increase of human activity and development in the area, climate change, the uncontrolled spread of highly invasive non-indigenous trees (which themselves compete for water amongst themselves) all have had a negative impact on our local forests – and therefore on the territory in which our wildlife naturally roam, breed and feed.
Re-establishing and protecting wildlife corridors is a key component of our reforestation efforts and between April and August this year, in slow, regulated lockdown-motion, we got stuck in with small groups of volunteers at a time and took on the task of rehabilitating a site that is regularly traversed by troops of baboons, vervet monkeys, by bushbuck, porcupines and a rooikat. The task is one of both clearing the invasive wattle and blackwood trees that have infiltrated the site from the neighbouring state owned property and then planting out a range of endemic tree species in the spaces that were cleared. And so the assisted reforestation and natural regeneration of the forest floors begin …
Thank you to all donors for their contributions that make projects like this possible – we planted out over 100 precious trees to grow the wildlife corridor, which included outeniqua yellowwood, boekenhout, forest elder, cape chestnut, cape beech and keurbooms.
And thank you to all our enthusiastic VIP’s who pitched in (as and when regulations allowed) and got their hands dirty! A much needed grounding reconnection to mother earth in a year when being outdoors and in nature has been sorely needed!
If you would like to support our ongoing efforts of assisted regeneration of our forest biome, click here to sponsor trees!
Scientific name: Kiggelaria africana L. Family: Achariaceae. Common names: Wild Peach, Wildeperske (Afr.), umKokoko (Xhosa), uMunwe (Zulu), Monepenepe (North Sotho), Lekgatsi (South Sotho), Muphatavhafu (Venda).
The Wild Peach is endemic to coastal and inland forests, bushveld and woodland areas and along streams & rocky hillsides. It is widely distributed in Africa, from the Western Cape in the south to Kenya in the north. This is the only observed species of Kiggelaria in South Africa.
This peach of a tree is not a peach tree of the edible-fruit kind for us humans. While its leaves are superficially similar to the Prunus persica, the flowers are vastly different. The tiny, bell-shaped flowers of the Wild Peach – in bloom from spring to summer – are yellow-green, whereas the Prunus persica have pink flowers. The hard, greenish-yellow capsule of the Kiggelaria Africana splits when dry to expose shiny black seeds enclosed in an oily, sticky orange-red coating.
Note:
a. Bear in mind when harvesting any indigenous tree to do so sustainably. Different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below)
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
The Calodendrum capense is a beautiful tree of the Cape to look at …. literally … kalos means “beautiful to look at” (Greek), dendron means tree (Greek) and capense is Latin for “of or from the Cape”. Although of the Cape, this beauty is not indigenous to the Cape alone and is found growing throughout Africa in forests, ravines, gorges and riverine bush regions. A notable feature of this family of tree is the presence of oil glands on the leaves which release a strong citrus scent when the leaves are crushed.
Note:
a. When harvesting any indigenous tree, do so sustainably – different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below).
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
With lockdown restrictions for most of the year, Dr Jon Morley – our passionate “cycling for trees” partner – has yet to clock more miles on his bicycle in a “staged cycling event” across the Western Cape in order to raise awareness around the significant impact that forests and trees have on our own personal health and well-being. Continuous training on his cycle through the mountains, luckily has been permissible, and is keeping him in shape while allowing him to still get exposure to the public however small and continue to raise local awareness.
He also managed to get his hands dirty with that “good stuff” called soil and plant out a batch of the trees that were donated to his tree-cycling project.
These precious trees were donated by Dr Peter Hodson, and between the Vitali team and our VIP’s (very important planters), we spent a morning planting out a small bio-mimicked forest patch of indigenous trees at Vitali Health Centre in Hoekwil.
The presence of a growing and maturing mini indigenous forest – on a site where holistic health and well being are of considerable interest to the Doctors, Health Consultants and staff at the Centre – will increase the healing energy of the site tenfold over the years to come.
If you would like to sponsor an indigenous forest tree, click here!
Predominantly a forest tree, the White Ironwood is prevalent in forested environments around South Africa (including evergreen, coastal and dry forests), but is also found in riverine bush and seaside thicket areas, growing on sandy beach soils and dunes along the Garden Route coast. These trees grow particularly well under the canopy of the taller pioneer forest trees (such as the Keurboom) and attract a wide range of animal, insect and birdlife. It is well-recorded that porcupine specifically like the bark of the tree.
Note:
a. Bear in mind when harvesting any indigenous tree to do so sustainably; different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website.
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
Scientific name: Ilex mitis. Family: Aquifoliaceae. Common names: African holly, Cape holly, Wild holly, Water tree (Eng.); Waterboom, Waterhout, Without (Afr.); Monamane (Northern Sotho); iPhuphuma (Zulu), umDuma (Xhosa); liBota (Swazi); Phukgu, Phukgile (Southern Sotho); Mutanzwa-khamelo (Venda).
There is only one recorded species of holly tree in South Africa and it’s our beautiful African or Cape Holly which is found primarily in coastal forest & mountainous forest regions in SA and along rivers and streams.
Another common name given to the African Holly is the “water tree” – which is linked to the belief that the presence of this tree is an indication of underground water near the surface.
The Cape Holly seems to be a favourite source of food for our Knysna Forest Elephants who have been noted to feed off the leaves of this forest tree more so than the leaves of the other endemic forest trees.
Note:
a. Bear in mind when harvesting any indigenous tree to do so sustainably. Different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below).
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
This species is widely distributed through Western Cape into Africa and are usually found on riverbanks and in riverine forest areas, but can also be found in drier woodlands. Their habitat is restricted to frost-free areas with moderate rainfall. All South African figs are edible, although they are not all palatable and are often infested with insects and larvae. Characteristic of all figs is the copious white latex, which is secreted from any damaged part of the plant.
Note:
a. When harvesting any indigenous tree, do so sustainably. Different trees and different parts of a tree have their own harvesting methods and periods throughout the year. The South African National Biodiversity Institute has informative harvesting tips on their website (SANBI link below).
b. As with any medication, when using plants for their medicinal values it is recommended that you seek professional guidance from a natural health practitioner and undertake appropriate research before use.
For additional information on germination, propagation, ecology, maintenance, etc. of indigenous SA trees, go to: www.sanbi.org.za
