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Giant Eucalyptus in South Africa: the Grand Trees (I)

Gustavo Iglesias Trabado

GIT Forestry Consulting - Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal - www.git-forestry.com - EUCALYPTOLOGICS

We have previously seen at EUCALYPTOLOGICS several examples of Giant Eucalypt Trees around the world, both at their natural Australian forest habitats, or as the heritage of forestry pioneers overseas, covering Spain & Portugal in Europe, the United States in America or New Zealand in Oceania. Today, aided by a guest expert from the Southern Hemisphere, we explore what could easily be the tallest cultivated Eucalyptus in the world. Join us in a virtual trip to visit the Eucalyptus Giants of South Africa! Our first step in the walk takes us to Magoebaskloof, another Valley of the Giants.

O'CONNOR's GIANTS: MONUMENTAL EUCALYPTUS AT WOODBUSH FOREST, SOUTH AFRICA

by Izak van der Merwe (1)

More than one century ago, in 1906, a stand of Eucalyptus saligna was planted on Woodbush Estate in the Limpopo Province by one of South Africa’s early forestry pioneers, Alexander James O’Connor. Many of the trees have reached nowadays impressive heights measured at between 70 and 80 m. In 2003 the tallest of these trees was measured by a land surveyor at 81.5m tall (+265 ft).

Fig. 1: Tallest tree in Africa, 81.5 m height (+265 ft) Eucalyptus saligna at Woodbush Forest Reserve, South Africa. Photo courtesy Izak van der Merwe. (Click image to enlarge)

This stand of trees is not only the tallest in Africa, but also the tallest group of cultivated Eucalyptus in the Southern Hemisphere, and possibly in the world. For two decades these monumental trees have been a well-known landmark to hikers along the Magoebaskloof Trail, which among other points of interest, allows the trekker to visit O'Connor's Memorial.

Fig. 2: AJ O'Connor epitaph at O'Connor Memorial, Magoebaskloof. Note the resemblance to Sir Christopher Wren's at St. Paul's Cathedral. Photograph courtesy Izak van der Merwe. (Click image to enlarge)

During a storm in September 2006 one of the giant Eucalyptus crashed to the ground and took the tallest tree down with it. A search will be done among this stand of trees to determine the new contender to the title of tallest tree in Africa.

Woodbush Forest Reserve is located in an extensive mountainous valley known as Magoebaskloof, where several other stands of giant Eucalyptus saligna thrive, all taller than 70 m. To some extent, this is another Valley of the Giants.

Fig. 3: O'Connor Memorial at Woodbush Forest Reserve, surrounded by giant Eucalyptus reaching 70 m height. Photo courtesy Izak van der Merwe. (Click image to enlarge)

The humid sub-tropical weather of this area of the country and its deep soils of granitic origin are thought to create the extra-ordinary growing conditions that led to many giant trees growing there.

These early O'Connor Giants might well have been inspirational for further Eucalyptus tree plantings taking place in the estates of the late Dr. Hans Merensky from the the 1930s ahead, opening the path for the Australian trees to become adopted as one of the major types grown nowadays in South African commercial timber plantations.

(1) = Izak van der Merwe is Senior Forestry Scientist at the Department of Water Affairs & Forests of the Republic of South Africa. Among other activities, and with the assistance of the Dendrological Society of South Africa he and DWAF have been charting South Africa's Champion Trees in order to help protect and preserve this global monumental natural heritage.

Want to know more?

Esterhuyse, von Breitenbach, Sohnge, Remarkable Trees of South Africa / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado / GIT Forestry Consulting, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

Esterhuyse, Neels; Breitenbach, Jutta von & Sohnge, Hermien (2001) Remarkable Trees of South Africa. Briza Publications, Arcadia. 160 pp. ISBN: 978-1-875093-28-1

Voortrekker Map to Alexander James O'Connor epitaph

Voortrekker Map of Magoebaskloof Hiking Trail (PDF 433KB) courtesy of Komatiland Ecotourism

Acknowledgements

EUCALYPTOLOGICS wants to express its gratitude to Rodrigo Giménez, Izak van der Merwe, the Department of Water Affairs & Forests of South Africa and the Dendrological Society of South Africa for their efforts at both sides of the Atlantic to identify and contribute to preserve remarkable trees in general and giant Eucalyptus in particular as natural heritage for future generations, and for contributing data and photography to make this small article delivered to readers in 94 countries around the world.

Department of Water Affairs and Forests, Government of the Republic of South Africa / Departamento de Aguas y Bosques, Gobierno de la República de Sudáfrica / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado / GIT Forestry Consulting, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics, information resources on Eucalyptus cultivation around the world / Eucalyptologics, recursos de informacion sobre el cultivo del eucalipto en el mundo

Dendrological Society of South Africa / Dendrologiese Vereniging van Suid-Afrika

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Giant Eucalyptus in South Africa: the Grand Trees (II)
HANS MERENSKY, SOUTH AFRICAN EUCALYPTUS GIANT

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Spinning Gum: cold hardy Eucalyptus from Alpine Australia
Notes on phenology and cultivation in cold temperate climates

Gustavo Iglesias Trabado

GIT Forestry Consulting - Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal - www.git-forestry.com - EUCALYPTOLOGICS

Eucalyptus perriniana have started blooming in Galicia this year. A bit of delayed this time, as we have observed them blooming since early June in previous years, they remain eye catching in any season none the less.

Spinning Gum, Eucalyptus perrininana flowering in Galicia, cold hardy ornamental eucalypt for cold temperate gardens / Eucalipto giratorio en floracion en Galicia, eucalipto resistente a las heladas para jardines atlanticos / Gustavo Iglesias Trabado / GIT Forestry Consulting, Consultoría y Servicios de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Lugo, Galicia, España, Spain / Eucalyptologics: Information Resources on Eucalyptus Cultivation Worldwide / Eucaliptologics: Recursos de Informacion sobre el Cultivo del Eucalipto en el Mundo

Fig 1: Intermediate leaves and blooms of a Spinning Gum (E. perriniana) flowering in the Tablelands of Galicia (NW Spain). (Click image to enlarge)

First discovered in Tasmania by 1893 and named after forester George S. Perrin, the Spinning Gum or Eucalyptus perriniana is one of the examples of frost tolerant Eucalyptus having unique ornamental features. Its vernacular name makes emphasis on dry juvenile leaves, which are connate, so fused at their base to surround branchlets completely, detaching and spinning freely around themselves when wind blows.

Fig 2: Intermediate leaves and early flower buds of a Spinning Gum (E. perriniana) during winter in the Tablelands of Galicia (NW Spain). (Click image to enlarge)

But this striking ornamental foliage is not the only source of interest from an horticultural standpoint. When cultivated in suitable climate, the Spinning Gum flowers freely and profusely yet in juvenile leaf stage, adding seasonal interest to its cultivation.

Fig 3: Juvenile leaves and blooms of a Spinning Gum (E. perriniana) during summer in the Tablelands of Galicia (NW Spain). Note the swollen flower buds approaching anthesis. (Click image to enlarge)

Native to high montane plateaux in the subalpine regions of Eastern Victoria and South-Eastern New South Wales, and also to limited areas in Central Tasmania, it is distributed in scattered and normally reproductively isolated populations, possibly meaning variation in its attributes depending on seed provenance or lineages in cultivation.

Fig 4: General outlook of a reproductively mature Spinning Gum (E. perriniana) during summer and winter prior to summer bloominmg in the Tablelands of Galicia (NW Spain). (Click image to enlarge)

Referenced as cold hardy to lowest minima in the range of -15ºC, this eucalypt can be safely cultivated in USDA Zone 8 and the mildest part of USDA Zone 7. The pictured specimen, first of its kind taken to blooming stage in Galicia, thrives in a frost prone area in USDA Zone 8b, and has survived unscathed lowest minima of -10ºC, not affecting its crown development or flowering process.

Phenologic notes on E. perriniana in Galicia

Flower bud initiation: May/June (late spring, early summer)
Flower bud maturity: +10 /+12 months (late spring, summer)
Flowering period: May/August (summer, peak in July)
Seed pod maturity: +20 /+25 months since flower bud initiation
Simultaneous reproductive cycles: 1 cycle of immature flower buds + 1 cycle of seed pods in maturation + 1 cycle of ripe or senescent seed pods can be present at once in the same specimen

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