Wooden Wonders
One of the great things about travelling in South Africa is that no matter where you go, you’re bound to come across unique or intriguing flora. Being a country of such varying ecosystems – from deserts and mountains, to forests and a hundred biomes in between – it’s often our trees which make the landscapes we come across so strikingly beautiful.
Although we might not travel to a particular place to see the trees themselves, appreciating and understanding a little more about them when we come across them makes for a richer travelling experience. So wherever you go, keep your eyes open – you never know what you’ll see.
The Glorious Quiver Tree
The next time you find yourself in the northern Namaqualand or Richtersveld regions of the Northern Cape, it would be a great shame if you were only on the lookout for wild flowers, although the Quiver tree is hard to miss. Growing up to six metres tall, the Quiver tree (or **kokerboom**, as it’s known in Afrikaans) is really a species of aloe and is one of the most striking plants endemic to South Africa. Their bark is a golden colour and looks not unlike it has been iced onto the trunk by a baker. The branches reach upward, away from the heat radiating off the ground, and end in thick rosettes of succulent leaves, and in winter bloom with striking yellow flowers. There is a forest of Quiver trees at Gannabos Farm between the towns of Nieuwoudtville and Loeriesfontein, which is a must-visit if you’re in the area.
While you’re in the Richtersveld, keep your eyes peeled for the mysterious north-leaning Halfmens (Afrikaans for "half human") plant. Growing up to four or five metres tall, this plant has an extremely narrow trunk which ends in a single distinct rosette of leaves, and from a distance looks like a person trudging slowly away. A Khoisan legend has it that when they were driven south from the Kalahari Desert, some people turned to look back in sorrow, and the gods took pity on them, turning them into “half men” looking forever northwards towards their homeland.The Ghostly Fever Tree
Driving through northern KwaZulu-Natal, one can’t help but notice the lovely Fever tree. Found in low-lying, swampy areas, next to rivers, around lakes and in shallow pans where surface water collects, the Fever tree is famous for its lime green flaking bark, which at times takes on a luminous tinge. While they’re striking as individuals, seen in a large cluster or forest they’re quite otherworldly. Their name can be attributed to early pioneers, who thought the tree caused fever because people living and travelling through the areas where the tree grew tended to get sick. They didn’t yet know that the swampy areas so ideal for the trees were just as ideal for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Ndumo Game Reserve, on the northern border of the province, is home to a beautiful Fever tree forest on the banks of the Pongola and Usutu rivers, and is a treat for birders with more than 400 species recorded there.The Elephantine Baobab
A tree so big that it can form its own ecosystem by supporting a whole host of creatures, the Baobab is in many ways the most African of trees, instantly iconic and unlike any other tree in the word. The baobab is colloquially known as the upside-down tree, because when it is bare of leaves, its branches look like roots. But it’s the sheer girth of an ancient baobab which is its most striking aspect. With trunks as much as 10 metres in diameter and with heights of up to 30 metres, they’re true giants of the botanical world. Their life spans also dwarf our own, as they are able to live for well over 1,000 years, with some individuals estimated to be over 3,000 years old. You can find them spread throughout Limpopo province, and there’s nothing like seeing them dominating the skyline in the Kruger National Park.
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The Sunland Baobab in Modjadjiskloof, not far from Tzaneen in Limpopo, is estimated to be the widest baobab in South Africa, if not the world. The trunk has a circumference of 33.4 metres, and over the aeons has hollowed to such an extent that the owners of the tree have been able to create a bar inside. It is certainly a unique place to down a cold one.
The Mighty Yellowwood
No list of great South African trees would be complete without mentioning the Yellowwoods of the Tsitsikamma area of the Garden Route National Park. The park’s indigenous rain forest is home to 116 types of massive trees, including the aged and giant Yellowwood, which is also South Africa’s national tree. Sadly, many of the largest specimens estimated to be more than 1,000 years old were felled by loggers before the trees were protected. Nevertheless, a walk through the forest here is still enough to make one feel pretty puny, and the forest is large enough to still harbour a few furtive (and rarely spotted) elephants.
The Big Tree of Tsitsikamma is just a short drive from Plettenberg Bay, and shows just how mighty the forests in this area once were. Towering above the canopy, this Yellowwood is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old, and stands 36.6 metres tall, with a trunk circumference of 9 metres. The tree is a short walk from the N2 on a forest boardwalk, and well worth stopping to see.
Useful Contacts:
Gannabos Farm: Contact +27 218 1249 or email gannabos@hantam.co.za.
Ndumo Game Reserve: Contact +27 33 845 1000 (central reservations), or visit www.kznwildlife.com.
Sunland Baobab: Contact +27 82 413 2228, or visit www.bigbaobab.co.za.
Garden Route National Park: Contact +27 42 281 1607, or visit www.sanparks.co.za.
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