| | Notes on Trees for planting at TSC
(Margie Cochrane)
Acacia caffra. Fabaceae. Common hook-thorn.
Fast-growing,
deciduous, tall (14m), beautiful, soft foliage, drought hardy, small
curved thorns. Sweetly scented, cream flowers September to November.
Host to certain butterflies, good fodder tree. Used traditionally for
fencing posts, tobacco pipes and tannin.
Acacia karoo. Fabaceae. Sweet thorn.
Fast-growing,
tall (14 m), rounded crown, drought hardy, large straight thorns.
Yellow pom-pom flowers in Spring. Host to many species of insects,
loved by birds and a good fodder tree. Gum can be eaten and was used in
confectionary industry, Traditionally used for rope making, wound
poultices, eye treatments and cold remedies.
Brachylaena discolor. Asteraceae.
Tall
shrub/trees, 10m. White flowers, July – September. Good insect tree,
attractive glossy foliage, hardy. Best carving replacement wood for
Ebony, used to treat diabetes, kidney conditions, intestinal parasites.
Buddleja saligna. Buddlejaceae. False olive.
Fast-growing,
drought-hardy, tall shrub (5m), tree. Sprays of honey-scented flowers
August – January. Used traditional medicinal purposes, the roots as a
purgative, leaves to treat coughs and colds, to make small pieces of
furniture, fence posts, assegai handles. Attracts hosts of insects and
popular with bee farmers.
Celtis africana (not sinensis). Ulmaceae. African white stinkwood.
Tall
(25m) deciduous tree. Flowers August – October and fruits October –
February. Birds love it. Good timber and traditionally believed to have
magical properties.
Ficus natalensis. Moraceaea. Wild fig. Often confused with Ficus burkei.
Tall
(25m), fast grower, drought hardy, with a massive span. If you do in
fact have the right species, it will be pollinated by minute wasps and
then produce masses of fruit that are in great demand by birds, mammals
and bats. Aggressive root system. Do not plant near building, septic
tanks!
Olea europaea africana. Oleaceae. Wild olive.
Tall,
12m, very hardy tree. Slow growing but a must for birds and fruit from
March - July. While you will not see this tree reach full size, plant
it anyway, it is a must. Aggressive root system. Do not plant near
buildings, septic tanks! A tea can be made from the leaves, hard, heavy
wood used for furniture, ornaments, spoons and durable fence posts, an
ink is made from the juice of the fruit. Traditional remedies eye
lotions and tonics, lower blood pressure, improve kidney function and
deal with sore throats, to treat diarrhoea
Rhus pendulina. Wit karee. Anacardiaceae (Mango family). Karee.
Willowy,
single or multi stemmed, evergreen, 4-9m. This tree tolerates drought
and wet conditions. Produces small berries, a must for birds. Host to
many insects. Stems used to build fish traps, baskets, and whips.
Fruits are edible, rich in carbohydrate, and have formed an important
part of the diet of many people, particularly those in the arid areas
of southern Africa. They are eaten raw, soaked in milk, mixed with
curdled milk or cooked as a kind of porridge. The fruits used to be an
important ingredient of mead, in fact the name karee is thought to be
derived from the original Khoi word for mead. They have also been used
to brew a kind of beer. The berries are mixed with Acacia karoo gum to
make a sticky sweet that tastes a bit like dates. The bark of quite a
few species is used in tanning. An infusion of leaves in milk and given
as an enema to children suffering from stomach upsets
Rhus lancea. Anacardiaceae. (Mango family). Karee.
Evergreen,
usually single-stemmed, about 7m, hardy, drought-resistant. Popular
with birds and insects, valuable fodder for livestock, shade for
livestock. The bark, twigs and leaves provide tannin. Wood was used for
fence posts, tool handles and parts of wagons. Fruits are edible and
used as an ingredient of mead or honey beer. The word karee is said to
be the original Khoi word for mead
Salix mucronata. Salicaceae. Safsaf willow. Indigenous willow.
Tall
(up to 15m), semi-deciduous, drooping tree. Grows in and along water
ways and can also tolerate drought conditions better that the better
than exotic weeping willow. Good fodder tree, host to certain insects.
Roots used in medicinally for stomach pains, fever and headaches.
Aspirin, for example, is a derivative of the willow species.
Traditional uses include, applying bark powder to burns, brewing tea
from the leaves to treat rheumatism. The tea also acts as a mild
laxative. Young branches used to make baskets.
Syzygium cordatum. Myrtaceae. Waterberry.
Evergreen,
water-loving, tree, 8-15m. While being water loving, it is also
drougt-hardy. Attracts insects and fleshy fruits favoured by birds. The
fruit is slightly acid in flavour and is eaten by children, monkeys,
bush-babies and birds and sometimes used to make an alcoholic drink.
The powdered bark is used as a fish poison, used as a remedy for
stomach ache and diarrhoea. It is also used to treat respiratory
ailments and tuberculosis.
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