Tag Archives | tree

Blooming marvelous

By on July 15, 2010 in flowers, tree

I’ve noticed this striking tree in bloom all around my neighbourhood – in the scary kid park, outside the Pakistani hairdresser and lining the streets. Its the middle of winter so quite surprising to see such a display of colour. It is great but I know little about it – could it be indigenous? Patrick

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What tree is this?

By on August 28, 2009 in tree

I was out in KwaMashu earlier this week, conducting training for INK Urban Renewal, and this tree was all over the place.  I originally noticed it because its remarkable pods make a great rustling noise when the wind blows.  Does anyone recognise it?  Is it indigenous?  I took a couple of seeds and may try [...]

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Warning – strangler at work

By on April 15, 2009 in indigenous, tree

In an earlier post, my brother lamented the scourge of syringa berry trees in Durban.  In the comments section it was suggested that strangler figs could be used to combat them.  I regularly jog down Manning Road and spotted a strangler fig at work on a Flamboyant.

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The case of the black moss

By on March 25, 2009 in garden, tree

A couple of years back I planted a fever tree outside our gate.  The tree never really took off.  It didn’t die or look sickly, it just never seemed to grow.  I put it down to the fact that the soil I had planted it in was this terrible, sandy, red earth and decided to [...]

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Syringas

By on March 11, 2009 in aliens, garden

Syringas are my most hated of alien, invasive plants in Durban. They spread like wildfire, grow easily in this climate and are a task to remove. Since coming back to Durban last October I have seen more and more of them, and it seems that many people (myself included) don’t know the details. A few [...]

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Amazing orange leaves

By on March 9, 2009 in tree

I was in Swaziland, at the Mkhaya National Park, when I saw this amazing tree with these deep, orange leaves.  I don’t know much about the tree but have always loved the photograph so I thought I’d share it.

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What tree is this?

By on March 2, 2009 in garden

Another call for help, another mystery tree.  This tree is growing in my neighbour’s garden.  It has masses of creme-coloured flowers with a citrus/vanilla scent, which naturally the bees love. Anybody recognise it?

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Fungi

By on February 28, 2009 in garden

I went down to Clansdale on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast last weekend.   In the garden of the house we had rented was a dead tree and on the trunk this amazing fungi was growing. Normally I would just appreciate it for its beauty but I had recently been reading Pitta Joffe’s Creative Gardening with Indigenous [...]

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What tree is this?

By on February 15, 2009 in indigenous, tree

This tree was growing in my garden when we moved in.  Someone told me it was indigenous but I don’t have its proper name and couldn’t source it in any of my books. It has a thick, rough bark, thin leaves and long, pod-shaped seeds, but what I really like about it are its flowers.  [...]

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