Croton sylvaticus (Forest fever berry)

Croton sylvaticus is a member of a large tropical genus represented by several tree species in Southern Africa. This extremely attractive tree has a wide, spreading, dense, dark green, leafy crown and the long, straight trunk of this fast growing species can reach as much as 1 meter in diameter. Although the showy, salmon coloured fruits are toxic, various species of birds such as the Red eyed Turtle Dove, the Green Pigeon, Cinnamon Doves, Weavers and Hornbills find the fruit irresistible. The Forest fever tree is host to the well known Green veined Charaxes butterfly and numerous insects are attracted to the flowers..

 

TREE DETAILS
Botanical Name	Croton sylvaticus
Common Name	Forest fever berry
Genus	Euphorbiaceae
RSA National Tree No’	330
LANDSCAPING USES
The highly decorative Forest fever tree is a superb shade tree for a wide variety of landscaping applications. In October, November and December these trees look absolutely lovely when the abundance of delicate flower sprays appear, but, when the masses of showy, salmon coloured fruit appear, these trees are a truly magnificent sight. Use the Croton sylvaticus for any area where a fast growing and attractive shade tree is needed. This is a lovely choice for shading a patio, creating a shady spot to relax in the garden, or any other recreational area and gives the added benefit of attracting a host of small wildlife as well. Whether The Forest fever tree is planted as a single specimen where its beauty can be appreciated through all the seasons or whether it is planted as a hedge or screen for privacy, this tree deserves to be more widely grown.
TREE SPECIFICATIONS
Height	7 – 13m
Spread	3 – 5m
Deciduous/Evergreen	Deciduous
Growth Habit	The forest fever berry is found growing naturally in riverine and coastal forest and inland scrub as well as in moist woodland areas.
Bark	The bark of Croton sylvaticus is pale grey and smooth becoming somewhat darker and rougher as the tree matures.
Foliage	The thin, dark green leaves are long stalked with two small knob like glands at the tip of the petiole. The leaf blade is ovate to ovate lanceolate, tapering towards the apex, distinctly 5-veined from the base with 4 – 5 lateral veins per side and margins with small irregular teeth.
Flowers	The creamy, to pale yellow flowers are borne in long terminal racemes in spring. Both male and female flowers are produced on the same flower spike.
Fruit	The soft, rough, hairy fruit capsule is about 13 mm wide, consists of three roundish lobes and is a lovely salmon orange in colour.
Seed	There are usually three oval, brown seeds per fruit capsule.
GROWING REQUIREMENTS
Growing regions	Croton sylvaticus Is mainly found in the warmer regions of the country from Port St Johns along the coast to Kwa Zulu Natal, and up towards Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Growing conditions	The Forest fever berry performs best in a sunny or semi shaded position with moderate quantities of water. Apply a generous layer of mulch or compost to keep the roots cool and moist.
Best season	Spring - Summer
Hardiness	Although Croton sylvaticus prefers warm, moist conditions, these trees will withstand drier conditions but should be given some protection from frost.
Propagation	Propagate from seed that has been sown in a good seedling mix and keep seed trays moist but not too wet. Transplant into bags when the second set of ‘real’ leaves appear.
Growth rate	Fast
INTERESTING FEATURES
Renowned for its many medicinal applications, many parts of the Forest fever tree have long been used in traditional medicine. The leaves are used as a poultice to treat pleurisy while the bark is used to treat ailments such as rheumatism, bleeding gums and intestinal disorders. The soft, pale timber is used for carving decorative household items.

Spectacular Monthly Tree - May 2014

The popular Water berry is an attractive and useful medium to large evergreen tree with a lovely full, rounded crown. Often the stem takes on a crooked shape creating an interesting, decorative feature in the landscape. The fragrant white to pinkish, terminal heads of fluffy flowers are rich in nectar and attract numerous insects and butterflies, while the showy, ruby red to purple, edible fruit are relished by a host of fruit eating birds.

Although these beautiful trees thrive in moist conditions, they are quite hardy and will do well anywhere provided they are given a generous mulch of compost as well as an average quantity of water.

May is an excellent time to plant trees as they will establish themselves during the rainy season in preparation for active growth during the summer.

We have beautiful specimens of these rewarding trees available so be sure to order yours now!

 

 

Botanical Name	Syzygium cordatum
Common Name	Water berry
Size Available	50 lt
Quantity in Stock	100
Average Tree Height	2.0 m
Average Trunk Thickness	3.5 cm

 

 

 

 

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

Availability List for May 2014

TreeCo provides our readers with a downloadable, updated Availability 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 Availability List.

Interesting Tree Projects from Around the World - The Canopy Project

The unique and exceptionally important Canopy Project was developed by the Earth Day Network as part of their initiative to protect and preserve the environment as well as numerous natural areas for the benefit of all communities.

Rather than focusing on the extensive re-establishment of compromised forest areas, their aim is to uplift disadvantaged communities by assisting them to establish food security and developing a sustainable economy by reversing the effect of land degradation through planting trees that provide food and energy resources as well as income for the whole community.

With the increase of devastating storms and floods which often lead to massive, destructive, landslides, stabilising ground through re-introducing or increasing tree coverage over large areas is vital.

For this reason, in 2012, the Earth Day Network along with the Global Poverty Project made a commitment to planting 10 million trees over a period of five years as part of their upliftment project in disadvantaged communities worldwide.

To date, the Canopy Project has planted over 1.5 million trees in disadvantaged communities in 18 countries.

In Haiti, where earthquakes caused massive landslides some years ago, a phenomenal 500,000 trees have already been planted while in three high poverty areas of Uganda, to provide local communities with soil stability, fuel, fencing and most importantly - food, 350,000 trees have been planted.

This fantastic project is making a huge difference to countless impoverished communities all over the world including countries such as the United States, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, France, Canada, Spain and Japan to mention just a few.

This valuable project is supported by sponsors as well as individual donations and is part of a worldwide network of non-profit tree planting organizations.

The Canopy Project works in association with the United Nations Environment Programme’s ‘Billion Trees Campaign’ where every tree that is planted counts towards ‘A Billion Acts of Green’.

How are we able to help in our own communities? South Africa has numerous reforestation projects on the go, including Greenpop which we wrote about in our newsletter a few months ago. Read about it HERE. By donating to initiatives such as The Canopy Project or Greenpop, you will be making a significant contribution to helping our fragile environment become stronger and better equipped to support people.

Share your stories with us! Let us know what you have been doing in your own communities!

Olea capensis (Black ironwood)

Although the splendid Olea capensis subs. macrocarpa may grow slowly, if planted in the right place, the shade of these breathtakingly handsome trees will be enjoyed for many generations to come as these trees can reach a great age. Second only in size, to the massive yellowwoods of the forests along the Southern Cape coastline, but not having suffered the extensive exploitation of the yellowwoods, these awe inspiring trees can reach an age of between 2000 and 3000 years. In the forest they can grow as tall as 35 – 40m but will rarely achieve that height in cultivation where a maximum of about 10m can be expected. The attractive panicles of sweetly scented flowers attract a variety of insects while the fruit is relished by birds as well as other wildlife.

 

TREE DETAILS
Botanical Name	Olea capensis subs. macrocarpa
Common Name	Black ironwood
Genus	Oleaceae
RSA National Tree No’	618
LANDSCAPING USES
The Black ironwood is a most rewarding and beautiful shade tree but one should carefully consider the positioning of these trees before planting as they are slow to reach maturity and become a permanent fixture in the landscape. These must surely be amongst the finest of ornamental trees to plant as a legacy for future generations so it is important to ensure that wherever these trees are planted, there is enough space to enable them to grow unhindered, so that their full glory can be appreciated for many years to come. As specimen trees, Olea capensis subs. macrocarpa are unsurpassed or if you wish to create a truly imposing avenue, these trees will provide a permanent, evergreen thoroughfare for all to admire. The bonsai enthusiast will find the Black ironwood well worth the effort and challenge.
TREE SPECIFICATIONS
Height	6 - 10m
Spread	4 - 8 m
Deciduous/Evergreen	Evergreen
Growth Habit	The Black ironwood occurs in a wide variety of habitats but is most commonly found in moist to semi-moist high forest although in some regions they do grow in drier areas and bushveld.
Bark	On younger trees the bark is pale grey but becomes darker and vertically fissured as the tree ages. If the bark is damaged the wound exudes a distinctive dark gum.
Foliage	The glossy, medium to dark green, opposite leaves are paler green underneath and are narrowly elliptic, tapering at the base of the apex. The petiole is sometimes purple.
Flowers	The small, white or cream sweetly scented flowers are borne in abundant terminal heads from November to January. The flowers are bisexual.
Fruit	The fruit which is a fairly large, fleshy, oval drupe ripens to purplish black and looks similar to large Greek olives.
Seed	The seed consists of a brownish, oval pip inside the fruit.
GROWING REQUIREMENTS
Growing regions	The Black ironwood is widespread and grows in coastal forests from the Western Cape through to the Eastern Cape, up into Kwa-Zulu Natal and further north to Limpopo.
Growing conditions	Olea capensis subs. macrocarpa will grow successfully in shade or sun. As these trees grow rather slowly it helps to provide absolutely optimal conditions for the first few years by preparing a large hole before planting and enriching the soil with plenty of compost and high nitrogen organic fertilizer. Apply a thick layer of mulch around the tree and keep well watered.
Best season	Spring - Summer
Hardiness	Black ironwood is hardy once established and will withstand some frost as well as dry conditions.
Propagation	Propagation from seed is quite a lengthy process as the seeds can take up to six months to germinate and the saplings grow quite slowly. Soft wood cuttings taken in spring usually provide a more successful and quicker method of propagation.
Growth rate	Slow
INTERESTING FEATURES
The name ironwood speaks for itself as the timber from these magnificent trees is extremely hard and heavy. The timber is grey-brown to brown with a fine straight grain and attractive yellow, black and grey figuring. This durable wood is oily and difficult to work but is excellent for turning and gives a beautiful, smooth finish. Previously, the wood was used for railway sleepers, wagon building, bridge construction and mine supports but increasingly this fine timber is gaining popularity for the manufacture of fine furniture, veneers and flooring.

                      

TreeCo Price Increase

The ever-rising cost of petrol has impacted the nursery in virtually every possible manner and we have had little option but to effect a small increase on the price of our trees.

Please click here to download our latest availability list and wholesale pricing. You can also view our list of trees and pricing on our website.

TreeCo Continually Improving Standards

At TreeCo Wholesale Tree Nursery, we are always looking for ways to improve the quality of the trees that we supply to you. For 2014, our primary focus will be on growing trees with straighter, even more robust trunks and to achieve this we are adjusting spacing in the nursery between the trees as can be seen in the image below.

Added to this is our ongoing focus on organic growing methods. In fact we wrote a detailed article in October last year, which uncovers everything you need to know about the benefits of organically grown trees. Read the article here.

For further information or if you would like to take a tour of our beautiful nursery, give Rudi a call on 082 829 5543 or contact Leske on 072 385 0270.

 

 

Interesting Tree Projects from Around the World - Delhi - 'The Forest City'

Since the late 1990’s, the populous city of New Delhi in India has endeavoured to make Delhi a greener and more environmentally friendly place by restoring its diminishing forests to their former glory.

The city had lost much of its original forest to rampant urbanisation as well as through vandalism and neglect, with the result that large portions of the forest area had been destroyed or had deteriorated to such a great extent as to become wasteland. The damage had reached such huge proportions that in 1997, only 26 sq. km. of green cover remained.

Through the implementation of ambitious tree planting initiatives such as the ‘City Plants a Million Trees’ campaign and the hard work of the forestry department, the Isha Foundation and The New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Parks and Gardens department, the city managed to double the extent of the forest areas from 151 sq. km. in 2001 to 296.2 sq. km. by 2011.

Every year, through sheer hard work and dedication, the forest area increases significantly. By the end of 2012 the forested area had increased to 310 sq. km. and again in 2013 literally hundreds of thousands of tree saplings were planted making this one of the largest and most dynamic environmental greening initiatives in the world.

As the forest areas increase, birds and small wildlife return to the city, in fact, Delhi now boasts some 450 bird species within the city. Only Nairobi in Kenya which borders on the Serengeti National Park hosts more bird species within the city.

The citizens of Delhi are encouraged to take part in various tree planting initiatives and the city supplies the public with free tree saplings. Areas that are to be planted are cleaned, weeded, tilled, fertilised and watered before planting takes place.

After three years, the newly established forest begins to take care of itself and after five years the maturing woodland becomes completely self sustaining, supporting wildlife and providing welcome ‘lungs’ in the city as well as shade.

Although Delhi remains a city of congested traffic and masses of people, the green initiative is growing and is gradually overcoming the destruction caused by irresponsible urbanisation and land use through education, preservation and restoration of its green heritage.