Cape Town - South Africa hosts the 14th World Forest Congress (September 7-11) at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre in Durban.
Held every six years since 1926, the World Forestry Congress is a prestigious gathering that will be held in Africa for the first time.
With over 2 000 delegates, the congress is hosted by the South African government, in association with the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Why choose trees?
Bring the wonder and benefits of trees to your garden. Trees provide a shady spot to rest and relax and attract wildlife to the garden. They can also be used to create a privacy screen
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South Africa celebrates Arbor Week from September 1 to 7. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries encourages all South Africans to plant an indigenous tree for future generations.
Choosing a tree for your garden
When selecting an indigenous tree, find out where the tree grows naturally. South Africa’s climate is very diverse and what grows well in one area of the country may not be suitable for Cape Town.
Also, find out how big the tree gets and if it is evergreen or deciduous. Consider its the root system.
Trees of the year
The trees for 2015 are the forest bush willow (Combretum kraussii) and the parsley tree (Heteromorpha arborescens). While both are indigenous to the eastern regions of South Africa, the forest bush willow can be grown in the Cape, but must be placed in a sheltered area. It has small creamy-white flowers, autumn leaves, pink to red fruits and a non-invasive root system. The forest bush willow is suitable for small gardens, for shady areas and for planting along driveways.
* Cape date (Canthium inerme). A medium tree for a sunny spot, the Cape date or turkey-berry bush has attractive light green, glossy leaves and small, creamy-green flowers from late winter to the end of summer. Its trunk is smooth and pale when young, but roughens and darkens with age.
* Keurboom (Virgilia oroboides). A beautiful, fast-growing, medium tree that makes a striking candidate in the suburban garden. It produces stunning, fragrant pink-mauve flowers in summer and attracts insects, birds and bees to the garden. The keurboom is evergreen and can be used as a privacy screen or windbreak. A young tree can be planted in full sun or in a semi-shaded spot.
* White Pear (Apodytes dimidiata). An excellent, evergreen candidate for the garden, the white pear has grey bark that is smooth to the touch. Lightly scented flowers are produced during summer, followed by black and red berry-like fruits. The fruit is non-messy and suitable for areas close to pools and patios. It attracts insects and birds to the garden. A good shade tree.
* Wild Olive (Olea europaea subsp. Africana). A small to medium, evergreen, drought and wind-resistant tree. The wild olive has dark green-grey leaves. The tree produces small, slightly scented whitish flowers in summer, followed by edible fruit from March to July.
* Camphor Bush (Tarchonanthus camphoratus). A small tree, ideal for tough, coastal conditions and a sunny spot. Its greyish-green foliage makes an interesting garden specimen, with creamish flowers borne from autumn through to early summer. Fruits, borne on female trees, are covered with a downy fluff similar to cotton wool. Leaves have a camphor smell when crushed.
* Candlewood (Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus). A small to medium tree that produces thick, green glossy leaves and creamish sweet-smelling flowers in early summer. Bright orange fruit produces a stunning display.
Among other trees to consider are tree fuchsia (Halleria lucida), cross-berry raisin (Grewia occidentalis), wild peach (Kiggelaria africana), rock false candlewood (Maytenus oleoides), white stinkwood (Celtis africana) and the bietou (Chrysanthemoides monilifera).
How to plant a tree
* Dig the planting hole twice as deep as the plant bag and twice as wide.
* Mix some of the excavated soil with organic compost and a little bone meal and place the mixture back into the hole. Fill up to the same depth as the plant bag.
* Fill the hole with water and give it time to drain away.
* Remove the plant bag and gently place the root ball inside the hole. Take care to position the tree in the middle of the hole. Mix some of the remaining excavated soil with a little more compost and bone meal and fill the hole.
* Use your shoe heel to stamp down to compact the soil. Water well.
* Apply a 5cm to 8cm mulch of bark chips around the base of the tree later, but leave a gap between the mulch and the stem.
Kay Montgomery. Weekend Argus