Page 20 - Landscape SA 104

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

Photo by Wendy Carstens. Photo by Carol Knoll
A child from the Thabile Nursery School admiring the Wild Pear (Dombeya Dombeya rotundifolia flowers
rotundifolia) tree next to the lecture hut. pollinated by the Garden
Acraea butterfly.

LOCALLY INDIGENOUS TREES

AND SHRUBS AT

MELVILLE KOPPIES...PART THREE

Article by Carol Knoll

Melville Koppies Nature largely protected from
Reserve is owned by fire and frost by rock
Jo’burg City Parks & Zoo outcrops on the ridges,
(see previous articles sometime referred to Dombeya rotundifolia
in Landscape SA) and as ‘fire collars’, or are The Wild Pear has been an
is positioned in the located in the riverine ornamental plant for a great
grassland biome which area. The management length of time. It flowers
from late winter, producing
stretches over much of the of the nature reserve tight clusters of white
Highveld. The area’s high is to maintain the flowers turning to rusty
brown as they age. The Latin
summer rainfall, winter grassland and avoid bush species name describes the
drought, cold and frost encroachment. shape of the leaves, while
does not encourage tree the dark brown to black
bark is rough and craggy. It
growth. Fire and grazing lant nurseries in Gauteng and is a decorative garden tree
further afield grow these indigenous
are vitally important Pgrassl-and trees and shrubs (see particularly because of its
to grassland. The trees below), although Vangueria infausta and early blooming.
that have survived on Engelerophytum magaliesmontanum are
Melville Koppies are less frequently available.

18 Landscape SA • Issue 104 2021