How Trees Provide Upliftment to Underprivileged Communities

During April of this year, TreeCo formed an important and fulfilling partnership with the Directorate Grant and Municipal Performance Management (GMPM), a body that has embarked on a greening initiative as part of their commitment to uplifting local communities.

The enduring value that trees provide within a community cannot be over emphasised, as aside from beautifying an area and providing welcome shade in the heat of summer they provide numerous other benefits that play a vital role in the health of our society and the environment.

Studies internationally have shown that where trees have been planted in disadvantaged urban areas the crime rate has been reduced, as people suffer less stress when they have the use of an area that has been enhanced by the calming atmosphere of trees.

The environmental benefits of trees include the absorption of carbon monoxide and other pollutants from the air as well as the reduction of noise levels. Trees are instrumental in reducing flow pollutants and soil erosion and are truly indispensible to the upliftment of any community.

As part of our ongoing efforts to assist with community enrichment programs, we were honoured to be part of this greening initiative by DISCOUNT CODE TSMD0030 donating trees for the Steenberg Community Residential Units as well as for the new, specially built house for wheelchair bound Mr Danster from Khayelitsha.

Mr Rob Smith, the director of GMPM and his dedicated team of enthusiastic officials intend to implement their greening initiative on a bi-monthly basis and aim to spend 67 hours greening their projects this year.

At TreeCo we truly value the opportunity of giving back and look forward to continuing this association with GMPM and their valuable greening initiative.

The below are photo's taken during the planting of our trees.

Testimonial of the Month - Pearl Valley

TreeCo has had the pleasure of providing trees to Pearl Valley for use within private residences, as well as communal areas within the estate. 

Two key individuals, namely Chris Inkson and Japie Janse van Vuuren from the landscaping team at Pearl Valley have had this to say about TreeCo and the trees that we have supplied to them over the last 3 years:-

We are very pleased with the quality of trees and the impressive, professional service that we have received from TreeCo. Their specimens exhibit strong, thick trunks and good heights for their bag size and Rudi is well known for never allowing trees to leave the nursery with which he is not 100% satisfied. The specimens they offer are always unique – if we are looking for trees that look natural or with a little character – then TreeCo is the place we know we will find them. We recently purchased a large order of trees from TreeCo to be utilised within one of our most recent parks at Pearl Valley. We were very impressed with the fact that our trees were delivered on time and swiftly planted exactly how we wanted them in their designated spots by Rudi and his team – without our supervision. What we have found as almost more impressive is the fact that  over a month later - none of the trees had gone off at all. This bears testament to the quality and resilience of TreeCo trees. There is no doubt that we will be utilising the services of TreeCo in the future for large projects that have been planned – we know we can trust TreeCo to deliver what we want when we need and at the right price!

 

        Delivery to Pearl Valley              Planting the trees at Pearl Valley

  Chris and Japie of Pearl Valley                 A few months later...

Deon Weyers from Land-Art Environmental Solutions provides various horticultural services to individuals within the Pearl Valley estate. Both Rudi and Deon are amazed by the rate at which TreeCo trees, planted over a year and a half ago have flourished in this beautiful Pearl Valley residential garden which was designed and installed by Deon:-

       Pearl Valley Residence Back                 Pearl Valley Residence Front

TreeCo Big Tree Gallery - August 2010

Spectacular Monthly Tree - Virburnum sinsensis

Although we have many tree species at our nursery that are looking spectacular at any given time, we feature just one tree in particular every month that we know will offer you the best value for money and that will add that special touch to your landscape project. 
 

Viburnum sinensis is a striking small tree or large shrub reaching about 5m in height, with beautiful shiny, dark green foliage and spectacular 12cm trusses of sweetly scented white flowers in spring, that attract bees and butterflies to the garden. This magnificent species is a lovely choice for a small garden and looks superb as a single specimen or as a dense screen or hedge. In autumn the leaves take on a reddish tinge making this an attractive addition to any landscape through all the seasons of the year. Sweet viburnum thrives in soil to which a generous amount of well rotted compost and organic fertilizer have been added and for best results the plants should receive adequate water throughout the year.

Botanical Name	Viburnum sinensis
Common Name	Sweet virburnum
Bag Size	50 lt
Quantity Available	100
Average Tree Height & Trunk Thickness	2.2m  3.5cm

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.

Looking Good List for August 2010

TreeCo provides our readers with a downloadable, updated Looking Good List every month. 

Please note that should you not find the tree that you are looking for on this list, TreeCo will readily source what you require, on your behalf. Rudi and Leske Neethling personally ensure that all trees supplied by TreeCo, conform to our high quality standards.

Please CLICK HERE to download our latest Looking Good List.

This document is available as a PDF document and will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer, please click on the link below which will allow you to download this free program quickly and easily.

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Tarchonanthus camphoratus (Wild camphor bush)

Tarchonanthus camphoratus is an attractive small tree with pleasing grey- green foliage that can withstand particularly tough conditions, making it suitable for even the most environmentally demanding situation. The extremely decorative, strongly scented panicles of woolly white seed heads cover the tree for many months giving interest for most of the year. In the wild, where the Camphor bush tends to grow in thickets, it is generally smaller and bushier than those grown as single specimens in the urban landscape or when found growing with other trees, where they can reach 9m in height and develop an interesting bent trunk. In it’s natural habitat, Tarchonanthus camphoratus is browsed by giraffe, kudu, impala and springbok.

BASIC TREE DETAILS Botanical Name Tarchonanthus camphoratus Common Name Wild camphor bush Genus Asteraceae RSA National Tree No’ 733 LANDSCAPING USES If you are landscaping a particularly challenging site and are looking for a tree that thrives on neglect, Tarchonanthus camphoratus should be your first choice, as it will do well in the windiest and driest areas as well as being completely unaffected by even the most severe frost. This delightful tree has a lovely v-shaped canopy and with it’s interesting grey-green foliage, creates an excellent foil for other plants. As the Wild camphor bush requires so little care, it is an excellent subject for street planting or for any other public area where a hardy tree is needed. In coastal gardens where conditions are always difficult, Tarchonanthus camphoratus can be used as an effective windbreak or can be trimmed into an attractive hedge. This hardy, moderately fast growing tree is popularly used for stabilizing sand dunes as well as for areas where erosion is a problem. As the Camphor bush has a strong root system it is very popular with Bonsai enthusiasts as some really interesting styles can be achieved. TREE SPECIFICATIONS Height 2m-9m Spread 2m-4m Deciduous/Evergreen Semi-deciduous Growth Habit Tarchonanthus camphoratus is widespread in South Africa, growing on sandy soils in bushveld, grassland, forest and semi-desert. Bark The pale brown bark is rough with longitudinal fissures and peels off in long strips. Foliage The narrow oblong leaves are dull green to grey-green above and whitish felted with prominent veining underneath. The margin is entire to finely toothed. When crushed the leaves give off a strong camphor aroma.  Flowers The creamy-white flowers of the Camphor bush are carried on terminal panicles. Male and female trees are separate. Fruit From March to November the attractive, strongly scented fruit appears as a small nutlet, covered in woolly white hairs, giving the appearance of tiny cottonwool balls. Seed The small seeds are covered with creamy hairs. GROWING REQUIREMENTS Growing regions Tarchonanthus camphoratus is widespread from central Africa through west and east Africa right down to Namibia and South Africa. Growing conditions The Wild camphor bush needs no special care and does well even when used for the most challenging landscape applications. Best season  All year Hardiness This adaptable tree is extremely tough being able to withstand strong salt laden coastal winds, drought or heavy frost and will even shoot from the base after being severely damaged by fire. Propagation Seed takes about 8 weeks to germinate but propagation from soft wood cuttings is highly successful. Growth rate Moderate, 600mm-800mm per year. INTERESTING FEATURES Tarchonanthus camphorates has been used medicinally by indigenous peoples for generations and is still used extensively today. The smoke from burning green leaves is inhaled to relieve sinus and headaches while a tea made by boiling the leaves in water is used for coughs, bronchitis, toothache and abdominal pain. The leaves are also used for body massage and as a deodorant by the Masai while Zulu women use them to perfume their hair. The grey-brown, close grained wood is hard and heavy and is used for musical instruments, fence posts, boat building and cabinet making.

 

T. camphoratus Flowers & Foliage   T. camphoratus Seed          T. camphoratus Fruit