TREE OF THE YEAR - 2012

 

Syzygium Cordatum

indigenous tree pappea capensis flowerOther names: Water-berry, waterbessie. It is an evergreen tree  with cream flowers that blooms from spring to winter and attracts, bees and other insects which attracts birds.  The fruits is eaten by a lot of animal species.  It can grow in direct sunlight, prefers medium water and reaches a height of 6 to 15 meters.  It comes from Mozambique and Kwazulu-Natal.  Its wood is used for furniture.

 

Burguiera gymnorrhiza.

indigenous tree pavetta lanceolata flowerOther names: Black Mangrove, Swartwortel boom.  Its flowers are creamy white, it flowers through most of the year.  It grows mostly in swamps and prefers shade.  It attracts ants, wasps, sunbirds, vervet monkeys and bats.  It reaches a height of 2 to 5 meter, up to 11 meter.  The wood is used for building and charcoal.

 

 

Protorhus longifolia

indigenous tree pavetta lanceolata flowerOther names:  Red Beech, Rooiboekenhout. Its flowers are pinkish to green white and it flowrers from July to October.  It grows over most of South Africa and is mostly seen in evergreen forests and as a riverplant.  The fruits color is purple to mauve.  Birds and also apes loves its fruits.  It grows to up to 25 meters.  It can be used for furniture.

 

 

 

 

The Tree of the Year Initiative

 

The Tree of the Year was an initiative of the Dept of Water Affairs & Forestry (now the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - DEAT) to raise awareness in nature. In 1996 they introduced a category of the "Rare Tree of the Year". This has now been changed to an "Alternate Tree of the Year" so that hopefully one or the other will suit the persons habitat. The selection of the Tree of the Year is now a joint effort by the DEAT, The Botanical Society and the South African Bio-diversity Institute (SANBI).