Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Why Should YOU Subscribe to the TreeCo Newsletter?

Befor we answer that question - lets clarify what this blog is all about?

Well this is the online version of our monthly newsletter - providing our clients with easy access to all our articles in one place!

So you may be wondering what the newsletter looks like? Wonder no more! Simply click on the link below and see our newsletter for April 2010. Then do yourself a favour and subscribe - its free and ensures that we are able to email the newsletter to you every month!


Why Subscribe?

We deliver:-

  1. An easy to download Looking Good List (updated monthly)
  2. An in-depth study of a South African indigenous tree
  3. An overview of our spectacular monthly tree

TREEmendous Trees at TreeCo!

Rudi and Leske are hugely excited about the progress being made with the ongoing expansion of the nursery. As you can see from the photos, we are continually increasing our stock so that we can offer you the best possible selection and wow..... just look at the quality and size of our trees! Plant one of these and you have an instant garden!

As you can see our 1000lt trees are absolutely massive with large, full crowns and strong, healthy growth, superb quality that is fantastic value for money!

Our exceptionally large 100lt trees are equally impressive and, as is the case with all of our trees, offer truly outstanding value and a wide range to choose from.

We are totally committed to becoming the top tree nursery in the Western Cape thereby enabling us to offer you unsurpassed selection, quality and service that will have you coming back again and again.

Right now is the ideal time to plant trees so pop in and let us show you around the nursery and you will see for yourself that TreeCo’s trees really are TREEMENDOUS!

CLICK HERE to see a bigger image than the one below!

TreeCo PIC OF THE MONTH!

Well you have many pictures this month to choose from! but here are just two more! Create an instant garden when you use our impressively sized trees - which are of course exceptional value for money - in your landscape projects!



The Delivery


























The Tree Has Been Planted - Here is an Instant Garden!

Spectacular Monthly Tree - April 2010

The Khaya anthotheca or East African mahogany as it is more commonly known is a large to very large evergreen tree with a buttressed trunk in older specimens. In the wild it can grow up to 65m in height but it seldom grows higher than 30m in gardens. This spectacular tree has an elongated or rounded, much branched crown making it a superb shade tree. This magnificent, fast growing tree flowers from September to December, producing large sprays of sweetly scented flowers that attract a variety of birds and insects. East African mahogany is best known for it’s beautiful reddish wood that is widely used to manufacture fine furniture. If you are looking for a really imposing tree for your landscaping project, Khaya anthotheca is an excellent choice.

Botanical Name Khaya anthotheca
Common Name East African mahogany
Size Available 100 lt
Quantity in Stock 30
Average Tree Height 3m
Average Trunk Thickness 6cm

Should you require any further information, such as pricing details or should you wish to place an order, please contact Rudi on 082 829 5543 or Leske on 072 385 0270. Alternatively you are welcome to email us with your enquiry at info@treeco.co.za

Dais cotinifolia – Pompon tree

It is impossible to over emphasize the merits of the lovely Dais cotinifolia, one of our best loved indigenous trees. This wonderful small tree has a lovely, rounded, leafy crown and a neat upright growth habit. From November through December the pompon tree covers itself in a cloud of soft pink fluffballs, producing an absolutely unforgettable sight. These fast growing trees reach their full height in 4 – 5 years and begin flowering as early as the second year after planting. The flowers are produced on the previous year’s growth so if a very bushy tree is preferred, prune after flowering. In Cape Town this decorative tree only loses it’s leaves for a very short period at the end of winter but is deciduous in the very cold parts of the country.

BASIC TREE DETAILS

Botanical Name: Dais cotinifolia
Common Name: Pompon tree
Genus: Thymelaeaceae
RSA National Tree No’: 521

LANDSCAPING USES

April and May are the best months to plant trees in Cape Town as the wet winter conditions allows them to develop a sound root system enabling the trees to put out strong growth in spring. The Dais cotinifolia has to be one of the most rewarding indigenous trees, putting on a spectacular show for Christmas, exactly when everybody wants their garden looking it’s best. The lovely Pompon tree is small enough to be used in any setting where there is limited space being highly decorative as well as having a non invasive root system. The tree can be easily trimmed, allowing one to control the size where space is at a premium. In larger gardens Dais cotinifolia looks lovely planted on a lawn or even as a dense, decorative background in a large border. This versatile small tree is an excellent choice for patios as the roots do not damage paving and they can also be grown very successfully in containers. The pompon tree is even tough enough to be used in parks or as a street tree, in fact, this charming tree is versatile enough to be used for almost any landscaping application.

TREE SPECIFICATIONS

Height: 6m
Spread: 4m
Deciduous/Evergreen: Semi deciduous
Growth Habit: Dais cotinifolia occurs on forest margins, wooded slopes and stony kloofs in the south eastern parts of the country.
Bark: The tough, fibrous bark is greyish and covered in small speckles of whitish cork.
Foliage: The smooth, simple, oblong-elliptic leaves are dark green with a bluish tinge on the upper side. The veins are translucent yellow and are prominent on the underside of the leaf. The leaves are 30-60mm long and 25-35mm wide.
Flowers: The masses of 40mm, globose flower heads range in colour from pink to pale lilac. Each small flower is tubular, spreading into 5 narrow petals in front and with prominent golden yellow anthers.
Fruit: The fruit is a small nutlet concealed in the dry inflorescence bract.
Seed: The tiny black seeds can be collected about 2 months after flowering.

GROWING REQUIREMENTS

Growing regions: Dais cotinifolia is found growing wild from Mpumalanga right through the eastern side of South Africa to the Eastern Cape.
Growing conditions: To obtain the best results from the Pompon tree, plant it in a large hole 1m x 1m, to which plenty of good quality compost and some bonemeal has been added. Water regularly in summer for the first 2 years, until the tree is well established.
Best season: Summer
Hardiness: The lovely Dais cotinifolia is frost resistant and even fairly drought resistant once established.
Propagation: This tree is extremely easy to propagate from seed and wild shoots.
Growth rate: Fast

INTERESTING FEATURES

Aside from South Africa, Dais cotinifolia has been cultivated in European gardens from as far back as 1764. The bark of this tree contains tannin which was widely used by the Voortrekkers for tanning hides. The bark is strong and sinuous and has traditionally been used in rural areas to make a very strong thread as well as being stripped and plaited to make a good quality rope.