SPONSORED | ARBOR MONTH: Grow your tree knowledge
Trees uplift our spirits, provide shade and beautify our towns and cities.
September is Arbor Month, a time dedicated to celebrating and
protecting our precious trees. As the lungs of our planet, trees
provide us with oxygen, clean air, and habitats for countless species.
They uplift our spirits, provide shade, and beautify our towns
and cities. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating 30 years of freedom:
Promoting environmental conservation and sustainable forest
management’, which highlights the role of tree planting and forests in
the country’s heritage wealth.
Food & Trees for Africa explains what makes the two trees of the year special and gives care tips.
Common Tree of the Year: Mountain karee (scientifically known as Searsia leptodictya)
Interesting facts:
● The mountain karee, with its dense and wiry branches, attracts birds seeking safe hiding places.
● This evergreen shade tree is frost-hardy and droughttolerant, beautifying small gardens with its drooping crown and bright foliage.
● Mountain karee belongs to the mango family. It bears small white flowers that turn into bunches of berry-like fruit on female trees. These edible fruits were once key ingredients in mead or honey beer, which explains the tree’s name: The origin of the word ‘karee’ is a Khoi word for mead.
● It adapts well to various soil types, enhancing soil rainwater infiltration, raising the groundwater table, and reducing erosion.
● Each tree offsets an estimated 0.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide over 30 years.
Tips for caring for the mountain karee:
● Prune it into a tree shape in its first few years by removing low-growing branches.
● Though drought-resistant, the mountain karee thrives with plenty of water and well-composted soil during its initial root establishment.
Did you know?
● Planting trees along streets can reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect, cooling surface temperatures by up to 9°C.
● Trees absorb carbon dioxide, approximately 7.6 billion metric tonnes per year, providing clean air and mitigating climate change.
● Well-established trees reduce flood damage and erosion.
● Agricultural systems that incorporate trees increase their crop production by up to 200% due to improved soil health.
● Trees reduce infrastructure maintenance costs by catching, cleaning, and diverting rainwater into natural waterways.
● Planting trees in urban areas can help reduce stress and anxiety, and speed up recovery from health issues.
● Every 10% increase in tree cover and green spaces in a community is associated with approximately 10–11% reduction in certain crimes.
● Trees have also been shown to increase property values by between five and 18%.
* Info provided by FTFA
