Marie Swanepoel, Somerset West
Dokdiek van der Zel’s letter refers: (“Nine trees”, Bolander letters, January 24).
I agree wholeheartedly with this author, the “slaughtering”of our trees must immediately stop.
The officials at the parks departments are to be blamed.
Summer is not shrub or tree pruning season, the City Of Cape Town and the Western Cape Parks Department must take notice.
It seems to me that, the tree pruning/felling contractors involved have not a clue what they are doing.
Instead of cutting off a branch against the trunk, they maimed it, leaving “half a limb”. It is not only slovenly, it is total ignorance.
I am concerned about the street/pavement trees.
The above-mentioned parks departments, should make sure that there are “ dams” around the trunks of the trees to be able to properly water it.
Yes we have water, in the Lourens River, running to the sea.
All is needed is vision and water trucks.
Instead of wasting money on pruning trees (out of season ) use the money to get contractors to open up the tar and paving
that in some cases is so close to the tree trunk that the trees get little or no water at all when it rains.
It took centuries for a tree to reach maturity. We all have to endeavour to preserve and rescue our trees.
I noticed, along Broadway (R44 ) one of our most beautiful indigenous trees, i.e The Fever Tree (Acacia xantophloea).
Unfortunately this trees natural habitat is alongside rivers, around pans and areas prone to flooding.
As beautiful as the Fever Tree, is the hardy Sweet Thorn( Acacia karroo).
This tree grows in abundance in many arid parts of South Africa and it is hardy and drought resistant.
The flowers are, an attractive bright yellow and appear when the tree is two to three years old.
Whatever we
planted in the Western ape should be hardy and endemic to the region.
