Estate Living Magazine Invest SA - Issue 41 May 2019 | Page 45

C O M M U N I T Y
that will reward you with a sweet fragrance throughout the
summer. pza.sanbi.org/heteropyxis-natalensis
• The forest bushwillow (Combretum kraussii, SA Tree No.
540) is called ‘umdubu-wehlathi’ in Zulu, ‘ulandile’ in Xhosa,
and ‘bosvaderlandswilg’ in Afrikaans. It is a handsome, fast
grower that’ll reach around eight or nine metres in cultivation.
It’s especially attractive if you’re looking for riots of autumn
colour (the leaves turn bright red to purple) but it has many
other positive traits, too. Like creamy flowers in winter and
spring followed by bunches of conspicuous, reddish, four-
winged fruit. While it grows well in the temperate interior,
it can be a little tender to frost. pza.sanbi.org/combretum-
kraussii
The subtropical east coast – East London to Durban
Hot, humid and sultry, often wet and pretty much frost-free.
Almost anything grows along our subtropical east coast! But let’s
try something different for a change:
Winter rainfall (well, in theory at least), hot, dry summers,
occasional salt winds: the fynbos coast isn’t always kind to
gardeners. But if you know what to choose, this part of the
country can be quite a breeze …
• Wild pomegranate (Burchellia bubalina, SA Tree No. 688)
is called ‘iThobankomo’ in Xhosa, ‘isiGolwane’ in Zulu, and
‘wildegranaat’ in Afrikaans. With its bright orange-to-red
flowers that are particularly attractive to nectar-feeding
birds, its glossy, dark green leaves, its smooth, greyish bark,
and its non-invasive root system, the wild pomegranate
has to be one of the best choices for small gardens in the
Cape. And as an added bonus, the roots are used in love
charms in traditional medicine – but even if those don’t really
work, you can be sure that everything about this beautiful
baby will charm almost everyone who visits your garden.
pza.sanbi.org/burchellia-bubalina
• False olive (Buddleja saligna, SA Tree No: 636) is called
‘unGqeba’ in Xhosa, ‘iGqeba-elimhlope’ in Zulu, and
‘witolien’ in Afrikaans. It’s drought-resistant and fast growing
– up to eight metres a year – and its great trusses of fragrant,
honey-scented white flowers really attract the birds and the
bees. This is one of the best choices for those difficult Cape
gardens, but it grows well in the highveld, too. It takes well
to pruning, so it’s good for bonsais and as a hedging plant,
and it’ll tolerate regular cutting back if you need to contain its
natural exuberance. pza.sanbi.org/buddleja-saligna
For more choice
A selection of just six trees hardly scratches the surface in a
country as rich in biodiversity as South Africa, but fortunately
for our Estate Living gardeners, we’ve recently discovered
theplantlibrary.co.za – a wonderful, home-grown resource that
helps you by narrowing your plant choices down by region,
type of plant, and so on.
GIVE IT A TRY!
I
servest.co.za
The fynbos coast: Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
• Soap dogwood (Noltea africana, SA Tree No. 453) is
called ‘umkhuthuhla’ in Xhosa, ‘umahlahlakwa’ in Zulu, and
‘seepblinkblaar’ in Afrikaans. This highly decorative, fast-
growing tree with purplish-red branchlets and shiny, dark
green leaves grows to about six metres, and bears bunches
of tiny, fragrant, white flowers from midwinter (bonus!) until
well into spring. It’s attractive to pollinators like butterflies and
bees, and birds love it for its protective, bushy crown. And its
common name – soap dogwood – is well earned: simply rub
the branches together in water and you will get nice bubbly
cleansing suds. pza.sanbi.org/noltea-africana
• White pear (Apodytes dimidiate, SA Tree No. 422) is called
‘umdakane’ in Xhosa, ‘umdagane’ in Zulu, and ‘witpeer’ in
Afrikaans. This is one of the most versatile trees for small
gardens, especially considering the fact that its root system
is unlikely to disturb your paving or the foundations of your
house. One of the most common species of the country’s
Afromontane (Knysna) forests, it’ll usually only reach about
four to five metres in a garden setting, but it can hit as much
as 20 metres in its natural forest environment. It flowers
profusely during summer, and the flowers’ sweet fragrance
attracts many species of birds. Plant it wherever you want
evergreen shade, or if you’re looking for a tree that’ll grow
close to a swimming pool without dropping tons of leaves
into it. pza.sanbi.org/apodytes-dimidiata-subspdimidiata
L I V I N G