San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits Oct/Nov 2017 | Page 5

News from Leitch / Nuus vanaf Leitch
From 1-7 September 2017, Arbor week came and went in
South Africa without too much fanfare. However, for us
greenies, it is a very important week in which we try to
educate people about the importance of planting indigenous
trees, how to care for them, getting to know the uses of
indigenous trees and to highlight the important role they play
in our lives.
Leitch Landscapes donated 2 Ziziphus mucronata (buffalo
thorn, blinkblaar –wag –'n -bietjie), the 2017 tree of the year
to San Lameer. They were planted in the already forested area
of the dune trail walk as the thorns are an ever present danger
and can hurt you.
The tree itself is a small to medium sized tree (3 to 10m). It is
widespread throughout Kwazulu Natal and the Transkei. The
main features are the thorns which grow in pairs, one is
straight and the other curved, hence the very descriptive
Afrikaans name. It is an attractive tree with a nice shape and
would do well in coastal gardens if you did not mind thorns.
The flowers are small and yellowish green in cluster in the leaf
axils and fairly inconspicuous. The fruit is reddish brown,
roundish berry which is smooth, shiny and leathery. It appears
in February to June and can be eaten by humans, mammals,
birds and game. Bees do enjoy the flowers too, as well as a
host of other insects.
All in all, as with most other indigenous trees, a very nice tree
to plant in out of the way areas.
Van 1-7 September 2017 het Boomplantweek in Suid-Afrika
gekom en gegaan sonder te veel bohaai wat daaroor gemaak
is. Vir ons “greenies” is dit egter 'n baie belangrike week
waarin ons mense probeer inlig oor hoe belangrik dit is om
inheemse bome te plant, hoe om te sorg vir hulle, om die
gebruike van inheemse bome te leer ken en oor die belangrike
rol wat hulle in ons lewens speel.
Leitch het aan San Lameer twee “Ziziphus mucronata”
(buffeldoring, blinkblaar-wag -'n-bietjie), die 2017-boom van
die jaar, geskenk. Hulle is geplant in die beboste gebied van
die duinspoorwandeling, aangesien die dorings 'n algehele
gevaar is en jou kan seermaak.
Die boom self is 'n klein tot mediumgrootte boom (3m tot
10m). Dit is wydverspreid dwarsdeur Kwazulu-Natal en die
Transkei. Die hoofkenmerke is die dorings wat in pare
groei, een is reguit en die ander gebuig, vandaar die baie
beskrywende Afrikaanse naam. Dit is 'n aantreklike boom
met 'n mooi vorm en sal goed doen in ons kusgebied as jy
nie omgee vir die dorings nie.
Die blomme is klein en geelgroen in 'n klos in die
blaaroksels en redelik onopsigtelik. Die vrugte is rooibruin,
'n ronde bessie wat glad, blink en leeragtig is. Die blomme
verskyn in Februarie tot Junie en kan deur mense,
soogdiere, voëls en wild geëet word. Bye geniet ook die
blomme, sowel as baie ander insekte.
Alles in ag geneem, soos by die meeste ander inheemse
bome, is dit 'n baie mooi boom om in die veld te plant.
Ben Roberts
Manager / Bestuurder