The Environmental Committee – Steve, Chris and Angela as co-ordinator of the Flora Finders Project were present – finally had the long planned guided walk with Georg von den Bussche on 25 September 2024.  Georg is a retired forester who was responsible, among other for the State Forests of Northern Transvaal. He is an expert on our Western Cape tree species and does guided walks and lectures for the Dendrological Society of SA.

The walk was very informative and we will try to do it again – although without Georg – with all EMC members on board and whoever else might want to come. That will be as soon as we receive the thirty tree labels which we ordered today.

We walked and talked for about 3 hours and did not even cover the large areas above Orchid Valley and around Barrington’s. That and also a large area to the right of the main gate can hopefully be done at a later stage.

Angela made a few notes and here is a short summary – and by the way, you can read up on the main species in this estate (incl. gardens) in the little booklet „Plant Indigenous“, which is available from the office. For your own gardening activity you might also want to consult the “List of Recommended Plants for Private Gardens” which you can download here.

Which trees did we find?

As for the more interesting trees, we immediately started identifying the first species as we walked down block 6 on „Bayview Path“ and crossed over to „Milkwood Way“. And wow, there are many nice tree species present and we hope that future walkers will enjoy the labels on them! To name just a few trees found here: old big Milkwood – the most magnificent one estimated by Georg to be easily 500 years old – plus a few younger ones; then Candlewood, Thorn Pear, False Saffron, Red Silky Bark, White Stinkwood, many Wild Fuchsia, and Wild Pomegranate, Cheesewood etc. And unfortunately in the more open areas also too many invasive alien species still!!

We then carried on to Bitou Park where we found all the common ones plus some planted trees which are also common in Brackenridge like Waterberry, Cape Ash, Wild Plum, and even a rather uncommon White Pear which was also most probably planted.

On „Forest Way“  down the stream via two bridges we finally discovered two further large Milkwood, a False Ironwood, False Saffron, Buddleja and Cape Beech.

Here is a list with botanical names and national tree numbers of all the trees which we identified. Individual trees representing twenty of these species were tagged; these are indicated by green numbers in the table below. The temporary white tags will soon be replaced with the official green labels of the Dendrological Society of SA.

List of indigenous trees identified at Brackenridge Estate, 25.09.2024

National tree number	Botanical name	Common name	Area found	Notes
139	Pittosporum viridiflorum	Cheesewood	in most areas	Excellent tree for insects and birds, fire resistant
399.3	Gymmnosporia	White forest spike thorn	in most areas
398	Maytenus acuminata	Red Silky Bark	Milkwood Way
409	Pterocelastrus tricuspidata	Candlewood	Milkwood Way and Forest Way
414	Cassine peragua	False Saffron	Milkwood Way and Forest Way	In older trees the bark is orange at the bottom of the trunk
422	Apodytes dimidiata	White Pear	Bitou Glade Park	Most probably planted
498	Scolopia zeyheri	Thorn pear / Wolwedoring	Milkwood Way	White blotches on bark, here grows close to 398 Maytenus a.
503	Trimeria grandiflora	Wild Mulberry	in most areas
578	Rapanea melanophloeos	Cape Beech / Boekenhout	in most areas	very common forest tree, also known as Boekenhout
579	Sideroxylon inerme	Milkwood	Milkwood Way and Forest Way	the large specimen could be about 500 yrs. old!
603	Diospyrus dichrophylla	Star Apple	in most areas	Small green furry fruit
636	Buddleja saligna	False Olive	Milkwood Way and Forest Way and gardens	excellent for coastal conditions
688	Burchellia bubalina	Wild Pomegranate	in most areas	Bright orange flowers in September, October
437	Dodonea viscosa	Sand Olive	in many areas and gardens	Drought and wind resistant shrub to small tree, medicinal properties
039	Celtis africana	White Stinkwood	Milkwood Way and gardens
708	Canthium inerme	Turkey berry or Bokdrol	Milkwood Way	Opposite pairs of straight spines
307	Lachnostylis hirta	Coalwood	Forest Way
733	Tarchonanthus littoralis	Wild camphor bush	Forest Way	Great garden tree, wind and drought resistant
618	Olea capensis (subspecies capensis)	False Ironwood	Forest Way
634	Nuxia floribunda	Forest Elder	Forest Way
099	Osyris compressa (previously Colpoon)	Tannin bush/Cape sumach	Wildegranaat loop and else	A root parasite, shrub or small tree, fruit bright red to black
298	Ekebergia capensis	Cape Ash	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens
361	Harpephyllum affrum	Wild Plum	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens	Eastern Cape, planted. Red plum edible fruit loved by birds
507	Dovyalis afra	Kei Apple	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens	Planted? Apricot type edible fruit
555	Syzygium cordatum	Water berry	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens	Eastern Cape, planted. Water-loving
245	Erythrina lysistemon + caffra	Coral tree	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens	Eastern Cape and subtropical species, planted
049	Ficus burtt-davii	Veld fig	Bitou Glade Park and streets and gardens	Different species, planted. Invasive roots!
050	Ficus sur	Broom cluster fig
365	Loxostylis alata	Tarwood	Gardens	Beautiful foliage and wind + drought resistant
016	Afrocarpus falcatus	Outeniqua Yellowwood	Streets and gardens	Planted, too big for gardens
221	Virgilia spp	Keurboom	Many areas	Pioneer tree
736	Osteospermum monilifera	Bitou or bush tick berry	Most areas	Pioneer shrub, attractive for birds and bees, semi succulent
670	Halleria lucida	Tree Fuchsia	Most areas	Small tree or large shrub, small red flower
637	Buddleja salvifolia	Sage wood or Wildesalie	Gardens	Tree or large shrub, wind resistent
380	Searsia chirindensis	Red currant	in many areas
388.1	Searsia lucida	Glossy currant	in many areas