Page 13 - LandscapeSAIssue111

ADVERTORIAL

TREES IN YOUR GARDEN

BY DR LESLIE HOY, RAND WATER

Trees play an important role in residential gardens, providing habitats for birds, small
mammals, insects and reptiles. Larger trees will cater for the likes of owls (helping to

control local rat populations), hawks and eagles. Smaller and medium sized trees will
attract birds such as paradise flycatchers, barbets, doves and weavers.

Providing benefits
Careful choice of trees is essential. Where possible, it is best to place
evergreen trees on the southern side of houses and deciduous
trees on the northern side to help with summer shade and allow
winter sun to filter through, warming the house. Trees are able to
cool adjacent areas by about 7ºC, reduce noise from surrounding
areas, reduce storm damage and slow down water runoff, thus
contributing positively towards potential flooding.
Careful positioning is important
It is essential that when selecting a tree, we understand how large it
will eventually grow. Its height and spread ten years after planting support local biodiversity and contribute valuable resources to local
are vastly different in many instances. Far too many people have, ecosystems. Consider some of the following:
down the line, removed trees due to too much shade over the pool, • Rhus lancea (Searsia lancea is the new name) or Karee – evergreen and
lifting of paving or impacting of boundary walls by tree roots. For a flowers feed bees. This is a low water use plant.
really innovative booklet that will show you how far to place trees • Combretum erythrophyllum (River bushwillow), deciduous and often
from pipes and boundary walls, look at http://www.waterwise.co.za/ has multiple branches. It is a medium water use plant.
site/industry/tree-rooting-habits/. • Celtis africana (Stinkwood) – don’t confuse this with exotic Celtis
sinensis. (Often C. sinensis is sold in nurseries as C. africana, so do your
Continual maintenance homework before you shop) – deciduous, medium water use tree with
Like all plants in the garden, trees also require a certain amount the seeds being eaten by thick billed weavers. The leaves are usually
of ongoing care and maintenance. It is important to look out for soft with lots of soft tiny hairs and a dull green (not a “hard” glossy
branches that are weak or that need pruning to allow sunlight green leaf as this is C. sinensis).
through. When pruning, take care to have a clean cut that is flush • Olea europaea subsp. africana (Wild olive) – Evergreen and often a little
against the stem. Pruning thin tree branches off young trees using slow to take off. Produces small black seeds eaten by birds. It is a low
a saw and not lopping shears can result in a tree with many stubby, water use plant.
short stems that all have jagged edges (a great place for decay and • Ziziphus mucronata (Buffalo-thorn) – deciduous, medium water use
rot to enter the trees). tree, the flesh around the seed is often eaten by birds. It does have
thorns so position the tree carefully. It may also need protection from
Allow some dead branches on trees winter frost for the first few years.
By leaving a small number of dead branches on trees, you add to
the biodiversity in your garden. These branches provide refuge for The water use described above refers to how much water to apply once
all sorts of bugs and wood borers that in turn attract birds such as the tree is established in your garden, which could be as long as a year
the red-billed wood hoopoe (green wood-hoopoe), barbets and depending on how you treat it initially.
woodpeckers. These birds may also be able to create a nesting site in
one of these larger branches. For more information visit the Rand Water website www.randwater.co.za
and click on the Water Wise logo. Alternatively, email us at waterwise@
Some indigenous tree ideas randwater.co.za or call us at 0860 10 10 60. We also have YouTube,
When looking for trees, try to look for indigenous species as they Twitter, and Facebook. n

Landscape SA • Issue 111 2022 11