Tuesday's Trees #23 - Karoo Acaia

A closer view of the formidible thorns of the karoo acacia.

Tuesday's Trees #21 - Pine Trees

This pine tree just happened to be at the right place at the right time, on Signal Hill, Cape Town.

Tuesdays Trees #19 - Spiny partners

Todays trees are the Aloe Ferox and the Acacia Karoo taken near Craddock.

Tuesdays Teees #18 - End of an era

The Baakens River Valley is a nature reserve that bisects a large part of the city and is home to a variety of wildlife and indigenous vegetation. Over the years alien invaders have also made the valley their home threatening the local fauna and flora. Though many of these are impressive trees, they suck up a lot of water and destroy the indigenous vegetation in their immediate vicinity.  

The blue gum invaders have been systematically ring-barked and most have now died off and will soon be replaced by the local vegetation.

These blue gum branches look like gnarled fingers reaching for the sky in a last desperate attempt at survival.

Tuesday's Trees #17 - Strelitzia alba and nicolai

Way back in 2008 I started a series I called Tuesday's Trees and stopped after 16 posts.  I have decided to reinstate this series, because I have collected many more tree pictures since then.

I thought the tree Strelitzias would be a good starting point.

The Strelitzia alba grows in the forests of the Southern Cape and this grove can be seen along the road  as you travel up the Grootrivier Pass from nature's Valley.

The Strelizia alba grows to a height of about 10 metres (33 feet). We had some of these in the garden of our previous home. They are nice, but very messy.

This flower is from the Strelitzia nocolai, which grows naturally further north along the coast Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal Coast into Mocambique. It also occurs in Zimbabwe. I chose this flower, because I do not have one from the Strelizia alba. The difference between the two is that the flowers from the Strelitzia alba are completely white and lack the blue that is present in its cousins.



I have heard that the Strelitzia regina has become quite prolific in California. I would be interested to know if the tree Strelitzias have been introduced there as well?

Tuesday's Trees #15 - Baobabs

Baobabs remain one of my favourites trees, with their almost prehistoric look and shear size. These photographs are scans from our collection. They were taken about ten years ago at Mana Pools in the Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe.

We were told by a conservationist that these trees were gouged out like this by elephants looking for food during one of the severe droughts that hit the area from time to time.

In the old days the elephants would leave the Valley for the highlands in search of food, and returrn during the rainy season, but the traditional migration routes have now been blocked off by game fences and farms. They are now confined to the game parks and have to take what they can get.

The Zambezi Valley is one of my favourite places on the planet. I don't know what it is about the place, but everytime I go there it has an almost physical effect on me. I can't explain it but I just love the harshness of this vast, flat wilderness area.

Tuesday's Trees #14 - Norfolk Pine with a view

This Norfolk Pine makes a nice silhouette, against the back drop of the sunrise and Algoa Bay. It is situated in the grounds of the old teachers training college grounds, in Richmond Hill.

Tuesday's Trees - a jaunt through the forest

The road to Eden's Touch near Knysna. I did not take note of the types of trees, but you can be sure there will be Yellowwoods and Stinkwoods in the mix. The forests were badly plundered during the 1700's and 1800's, so sadly many of the giant trees were chopped down. There are strict laws governing the cutting down of the indigenous trees now, which will ensure that our heritage is preserved.


A scene from a forest walk I took through the forest at Edens Touch last year in October.

Tuesdays Trees #12 - Keurboom

No wonder the South Western Cape is known as the Garden Route, with this profusion of plants alongside the road.

The Keurboom, with its pink flowers is in full bloom, giving a spectacular show. Keurbooms are indigenous, fast growing trees with a fairly short life span. In the past I have succesfully grown these from seeds. They grow quickly and die off at about the time the slower growing trees start getting to a decent height. They are very rewarding trees in the forests and in the garden.

Tuesday's Trees #11 - Melaleuca

We have always refered to these trees as Myrtles, but I think it is a variety of Melaleuca. They were used to establish hedges in Port Elizabeth many years ago and those that remain are very gnarled and twisted.



This one photographed at St Georges Park was not part of a hedge, but has been around for a long time. Why I think it is a Melaleuca is that they are also known as paperbark and this one has that look about it.

Tuesdays Trees #10 - Jacaranda

This Jacaranda was photographed with an old point and shoot, on a farm in the Elands River Valley a few years ago.



Another exotic, but it makes a spectacular show of colour when in full bloom.

Tuesday's Trees #9 - Poplars

The scenery on the road between Hogsback and Cathcart can only be described as breath-takingly beautiful and today I want to show the poplars in all there glory as they were starting to lose their leaves.




The road itself is terrible, but the views more than compensated. The road was actually not a problem though, because we were driving quite slowly to soak up the view.




I think we struck it lucky travelling through during April, when the poplar trees were turning and putting on a such a striking show of colour.




They may be exotics, but they are certainly pleasing to the eye and add something special to the scenery.

Tuesdays Trees #8 - Japanes Maple

Tuesday's trees is just my way of working through my many tree photos that have been hiding out on my hard drive.

This is a Japanese maple, viewed from a grove of indigenous trees at the Arboretum at Hogsback.

Tuesdays Trees #8 - Kapok Tree

Have you ever been driving along the road when a scene of incredible beauty jumped out at you and hit you between the eyes? This was one of those days.

The scenery between Seymour and Fort Beaufort has a rugged beauty unique to the Eastern Cape, but then we came across this farm where the Kapok Trees were in full bloom. I could not believe my eyes.


Fortunately there was a farm stall where we were able to stop and get a closer view of the flowers.

And it just got better and better, with these sunbirds flitting through the flowers sipping nectar. I think this is the Lesser Double-Collared Sunbird.

And if you are that way inclined, don't ever think you can climb one of these trees.

Tuesdays Trees #7 - Lucy in the sky with diamonds

The sun glinting through the leaves of a grand old oak tree at Hogsback.

Tuesdays Trees #6 - Silver Birches

These Silver Birches can be seen at the Granny Mouse House garden at Hogsback. If you are fortunate enough to be able to visit Hogsback, even if you don't stay at the Granny Mouse House, you can visit the garden for a nominal fee - it is well worth it.

Tuesday's Trees # 5 - California Redwood

In case you are mondering I have not been to California. These Redwoods were photographed at the Arboretum at Hogsback.

Whenever we go to Hogsback our first stop has to be the Arboretum, just to be able to stand under the Redwoods and soak in the atmosphere. I find the shear size of these trees amazing.

As you look up the branches seem to reach right up to the sky. They were planted over a hundred years ago.

Tuesdays Trees #4 - Blue Gum

This magnificent old Blue Gum tree was captured at the arboretum at Hogsback, as it reaches up towards the sky.

Tuesday's Trees # 3 - Japanese Maple

The Arboretum at Hogsback is breathtakingly beautiful, especially at this time of the year when the leaves of the exotic trees are changing colour. I will be featuring many trees from here in the next few weeks.

Tuesday's Trees: Blue Gums #2

This old blue gum tree can be seen, reaching for the sky, in the historical Mary's Cemetary in South End.

These wrinkles look good on a gnarled old tree, but on a person...............maybe a candidate for nip tuck?