Waterberry - Kloof Conservancy BioGuide
Height 6 - 15m
SA Tree Number 555
A medium-sized, single-trunked tree with blue-green, waxy, stalkless leaves which are borne in rosette-like clusters at the end of thick, angular twigs. The leaves occur in opposite pairs, are darker above than below, have a distinct yellow central vein and are heart-shaped at the base (cordatus is the Latin word for heart-shaped).
The foliage forms a dense canopy.
The bark on young trees is white/silver and smooth, in older trees it is dark, fissured and corky.
As the common-name suggests, they are water-loving trees and are generally found near water, but also on rocky outcrops. The Waterberry is found along the Eastern Coastal belt from Port Elizabeth Northwards, most of KwaZulu Natal except the Drakensberg area and most of the bushveld areas of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North-West Provinces. and as far north as Kenya.
Whitish-pink flowers from October - June.
The petals fall off early, leaving a puff of stamens which are heavily laden with nectar.
Plum-shaped, purple berries, roughly 1.9 cm long, are evident from October until May. They generally have a single stone and are fleshy.
Their aggressive root system makes them a good choice for stabilizing the banks of water systems.
A good garden tree; decorative, good shade, bird attractant and a good screening tree. The flowers carry a lot of nectar, attracting a myriad of insects and insect-eating birds. In the Kloof area the fruits are eaten by Purple-crested and Knysna Turaco, Green pigeon, Cinnamon dove, bush-buck, bush-pigs, bush-babies, grey duiker and monkeys.
It is a host tree to 2 Charaxes and 3 Playboy butterflies and to the Emperor moth (Saturnidae family) and Crowned Hornbills feed off the many large caterpillars.
The timber can range from light red to pale chocolate brown, has a beautiful grain and is strong and elastic. It is used for furniture and canoes.
A frequently occurring tree in Krantzkloof, mainly along river banks, including both picnic sites, but also on the forest margins.
In the Kloof area the fruits are eaten by Purple-crested and Knysna Turaco, Green pigeon, Cinnamon dove, bush-buck, bush-pigs, bush-babies, grey duiker and monkeys.
It can be invasive and will spread rapidly in any well-watered area.
There are some magnificent specimens in the park particularly along the stream close to Buckingham Road.
Can be used as an indicator of a shallow water-table.
They are known to be fire-resistant. In Zululand one can see where Oecophylla longinoda (Tailor ants) have spun silken web-nests in these trees.
The fruit are edible to humans and can be brewed into a drink. When the leaves are crushed, they emit a smell of Eucalyptus. The trees are popular with bee-keepers.
For cultivation purposes the seeds should be planted when fully ripe but not dried out.
Epiphytic orchids thrive in these trees.
Sappi Tree Spotting: KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape - Publisher: Jacana
Izikhathi zonyaka Esihlala siluhlaza
Ubude 6 - 15m
Conservation Isimo Umumo Ngokongiwa
Isihlahla esimaphakathi ngobukhulu, nesiqu esimi sodwa namaqabunga aluthuthu anamathele egatsheni ayisixhokwana ndawonye ekupheleni kwegatsha .Amaqabunga akhula ngapha nangapha kwegatsha agqunqe kakhulu ngaphansi kunangaphezulu, anomthambo ophuzi phakathi nendawo eqabungeni, ekepheleni kweqabunga limi njenge nhliziyo.
Amagatsha namaqabunga kukhula kucinane.
Amagxolo omdoni osemncane amhlophe noma aluthuthu abe bushelelezi, Esidala isiqu simnyama.
Njengoba lisho igama elijwayelekile, Ziyizihlahla ezithanda amanzi futhi zitholakala eduze kwamanzi nase matsheni uyazithola.
Imidoni itholakala ogwini lwempumalanga kuya ephothi Elizabethi kuya phezulu, yonke I Zulu-Natal ngaphandle kwezindawo zentaba Zokhahlamba nama hlathi asempumalanga, Elimpompo nase Nigizimu yempumalanga, neningizimu yonkana kuze kuuyofinyelela e Kenya.
Zimhlophe ngokumovana izimbali kusuka ngo Mfumfu kuya ku nhlangulana.
Izigxenyana zokuqhakaza zisheshe ziqathake zishiye okuthile okuphakathi Kanye nezakhi zoju.
Libukeka njengeganandoda zinombala omnyama saluhlazana, zilinganiselwa kokunye nesishiyagalombili ubude ziyizibonakaliso kusuka Mfumfu kuze kube u Nhlaba.
Ziba nenhlamvu eyodwa.
Izimpande zazo eziqinile zenza indonga zemihosha ziqine ekugugulekeni.
Isihlahla esihle engadini, ukuhlobisa, umthunzi, siheha nezinyoni futhi sihisihlahla esiyisivikeli. izimbali zinoshukelana, ziheha izinhlobonhlobo zezinambuzane nezidliwa izinyoni. Endaweni yase Klufu izindoni zidliwa Amajuba, namahobhe, onkonka nengulube zehlathi, izimpunzi Kanye nezinkawu.
Zihisihlahla esihlala izimvemvane, nezinwabuzelayo nemikholwane idla khona izinhlobonhlobo zonofiqo.
Amapulangwe angahlukahluka kwimibala ekhanya ngokubovu kuya koxubile, oshocolate osaluthuthu, mahle nokunhlamvana, ayasetshenziswa ukwakha impahla nezikebhe.
Izihlahla ezikhula njalonjalo e Kransiklufu kakhulu eduze kwezindonga zomfula naseduze kwendawo yokuzipholela kanye nasemngceleni yehlathi.
E Ndaweni yaseklofu izithelo zidliwa izilwanyana ama hobhe. Amajunga, Onkonka ingulube zehlathi, nabantwana bayo ingulube, impunzi kanye nezinkawu.
Singaba njengesimila esingafunakali sikhule ngokushesha kunoma iyiphi indawo enamanzi .
Kunesifanekiso esihle kakhulu epaki kakhulu ngasemfudlaneni maduze neBuckingham Road
Singabonakalisa isiziba esinga julile.
Zaziwa njengezinkuni eziwubambayo umlilo zivuthe kade. KwaZulu omunye angabona lapho kwakhela isicabucabu Sakha ngobulwembu kulesisihlahla.
Izithelo ziyadliwa futhi zingagaywa zibe yisiphuzo. uma ugxoba amaqabunga kuphuma iphunga elikhakha-khakhayo. Isihlahla saziwa ngokugcina izinyosi.
Ngenhloso yokusitshala, imbewu ingatshalwa uma ivuthwe ngokwanele kodwa ingakomi.
Intelezi ezimila esiqwini zikhula kanzima kulezihlahla.