We are the champions

TWO NEW – OR RATHER OLD – DURBAN TREES RECENTLY IMPRESSED THE JUDGES WITH THEIR ‘WOW’ FACTOR AND HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED AS “CHAMPION TREES”, WRITES TONY CARNIE

Durban is wellknown for many things, including some pretty kiff beaches, gorgeous weather and flippen hot curries. But now there are further reasons for the city to boast: two of Durban’s tallest, biggest and oldest citizens have just been recognised as “champion trees”.

Nationwide, there are fewer than 100 trees that have been awarded this status under a National Forests Act project to safeguard the country’s most outstanding trees, or groups of trees.

Not just sommer any old tree can be chosen, explains Izak van der Merwe, founder and national coordinator of the Champion Tree project. “There has to be a definite ‘wow factor’ to justify a nomination,” he says, noting that the two newest champions are both worthy recipients of this honour.

The two city champions – both exotic figs growing in the Durban Botanic Gardens – were among 11 trees added to the national list recently after a public nomination and evaluation process.

The scheme started nearly 17 years ago when Izak received a call from a local councillor who was worried about the fate of a large English oak – the only large tree to have survived the 1950s demolition and apartheid removals in Sophiatown,

Johannesburg. As things turned out, the old oak died soon afterwards because of a savage pruning, but this galvanised Izak and fellow tree experts to proactively secure legal protection for trees judged to be of national importance.

The oldest champion tree in the Durban Botanic Gardens – a Ficus benghalensis – was

ABOVE: Ficus annulata – the largest tree on record in the city in terms of its overall size. Picture: Supplied ABOVE RIGHT: Ficus benghalensis – the oldest champion tree in the Durban Botanic Gardens. Picture: Supplied RIGHT: This avenue of London plane trees was planted in the Pietermaritzburg Botanical Gardens in 1908. Picture: Duncan Kelly planted here in 1871 and has since become one of the mostphotographed trees in the city.

Also known as the Durban Banyan Tree, the largest specimen near the main tea garden entrance is one of three such strangler figs in the country’s oldest surviving botanical gardens. The largest of the three is just over 37m high, with a trunk diameter of

3,5m, a circumference of 11m and a crown width of over 30m.

Originating from South East Asia, there are several notable banyan trees around the world, including a monstersize specimen in Kolkata, India, thought to be at least 250 years old.

The second Durban champion is a Ficus annulata (var valida), and is the largest tree on record in

Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness. Ð Kahlil Gibran the city in terms of its overall size. There is some uncertainty about its exact age, with some accounts suggesting it was planted in 1937 or even later. But Durban Botanic Gardens curator Martin Clement says the best evidence suggests it is well over 100 years old.

Located just above the garden’s popular picnic lake, the annulata fig is 31m high with a trunk diameter of 3,6m, a circumference of 11,5m and »

ABOVE: The Ilembe Tree, a magnificent sycamore fig near Kranskop, is among KwaZulu- Natal’s oldest champion trees. Picture: Enrico Liebenberg crown width of 38m.

Martin is thrilled by the news: “Champion tree status certainly puts the Botanic Gardens and the city on the map, as the national list of champion trees is iconic and highlights an important part of our national heritage.”

Elsewhere in the province, KwaZulu-Natal has six other champion trees. They include the spectacular lane of London plane trees in the KZN Botanical Garden in Pietermaritzburg (planted in 1908); a massive mountain ash tree at New Hanover; a 34m high tulip tree at Baynesfield Estate near Richmond; the largest Common wild fig in SA (at Eden Park, Umtentweni); a collection of 60m-high gum trees in Pietermaritzburg; and a magnificent sycamore fig (the Ilembe Tree) near

The oldest champion tree in the Durban Botanic Gardens – a Ficus benghalensis – was planted here in 1871

Kranskop. At a national level, other champion trees include the Wonderboom tree (a 1 000 year old Ficus salicifolia near Pretoria); the Sagole Baobab (the largest indigenous tree in the country); and the Magoebaskloof Giants (a group of at least three 80m-high eucalyptus trees which are thought to be the tallest trees in South Africa and Africa).

FOR MORE INFO durbanbotanicgardens.org.za