Trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the Earth’s greatest natural resources and, to survive, they require light, water, air and nutrients.

Just like any living organism, trees can be susceptible to pests and diseases due to weather and other environmental conditions. These pests and diseases pose a great threat to the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) green canopy. However, while they can never be fully eradicated, they can be managed.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has put measures in place to minimise the impact of infestation throughout the CoJ.

Here are some of the most common tree pests and diseases to look out for in your garden and how to manage them:

• Euwallaceae fornicatus–  polyphagous shot-hole borer/invasive shot-hole borer

The polyphagous shot-hole borer (PHSB) is an ambrosia beetle native to Southeast Asia. Female beetles bore into the wood and form galleries, which inoculates Fusarium euwallaceae and Graphium euwallaceae fungi into the tree; and results in dieback diseases. The beetle attacks a wide range of trees.

Control method: Chemicals are not recommended, especially on the reproductive host. It is recommended to prune highly affected branches or remove highly affected trees, then solarise or incinerate the wood.

• Aphis spp – aphids

They are small, delicate insects which occur in colonies on the growth tips, flower heads and leaves of most plants, especially during the spring and summer months. They vary in colour and size. They suck sap out of the plant causing slowed-down growth and wilting in the case of severe attack and excrete honeydew as a by-product. A severe attack causes yellowing, leaf curl and death of plant tips. It is a major vector of plant diseases.

Chemical control: Systemic/contact pesticides

Biological control: Ladybird feeds on aphid

• Boisea trivittata – Boxelder bug

Boxelder bugs feed mainly on boxelder (Acer negundo) tree seeds and newly developing leaves, which may result in discolouration of the foliage. They also feed on Brachychiton spp, shrubs and fruit trees such as plum and apple.

Chemical control: Cypermethrin

Biological control: The boxelder bug has a natural predator called the ‘gladiator bug’

• Glomerella cingulate – Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a fungal disease that primarily affects the leaves but sometimes also affects the stems of hardwood trees. Symptoms of these diseases are dead areas or blotches on the leaves. Because of the leaves’ scorched appearance, the diseases are sometimes called leaf blight.

Attacks various tree species.

• Armillaria fuscipes – armillaria root rot 

Armillaria is a soil-borne fungus that causes root and trunk rot in trees. The fungus establishes itself in the roots and the root crown before symptoms become visible. Infected trees usually die prematurely, and young trees often die quickly after infection. Some of the symptoms are mushrooms on the trunk. The fungus can be managed by removing infested trees.

• Fusarium oxysporum – fusarium wilt disease

Fusarium is widespread and can infect a wide range of plants. The fusarium is soil-borne and airborne, thus can affect the tree through the wound. Symptoms include vascular wilt, root rot, stem rot, and leaves turning yellow and dry. Eventually, the tree will die.

JCPZ is committed to making the City of Johannesburg a greener, more pleasant and healthier place to live. Visit www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com for more information on tree pests and diseases.

Johannesburg is the largest man-made urban forest in the world, boasting approximately 3.6 million street trees in the care of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) and an estimate of 10 million trees within the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), and offering an abundance of spacious green lungs. Indigenous trees serve the surrounding community with a multitude of functions, settings and benefits that are accessible and welcoming for present and future generations.

JCPZ has planted a wide selection of indigenous trees in parks, street verges and residential areas throughout the CoJ. The benefits of planting indigenous trees are the following:

• Saves water
• Attracts wildlife
• Non-invasive
• Requires less maintenance
• Gives an aesthetic appeal
• Provides readily available medicine

Indigenous trees contribute favourably to the environment and also keep an appreciation for our natural heritage alive for generations to come. JCPZ is committed to upholding and maintaining Johannesburg’s ‘green crown’ by ensuring the city remains one of the greenest cities in the world.

Before planting an exotic tree, consider the benefits that indigenous trees can provide.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), the custodians for the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) green heritage, is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the green canopy of the City. JCPZ is mandated to prune trees in parks, cemeteries, conservation areas, along streets and nature reserves in the CoJ.

The tree pruning process is embarked on when:

• The tree causes an obstruction to pedestrians, traffic, street lights, roads, traffic signs, overhead power lines and satellite receptions
• The tree branches are hanging over the wall of a property
• The roots cause a safety hazard to pedestrians and residents
• The roots cause damage to buildings and road kerbs
• A tree has been struck by lighting and proves to be dangerous to its surroundings

Residents are prohibited from pruning or the illegal removal of a tree planted on municipal land, without prior authority from JCPZ. Street trees are the property of the City of Johannesburg and are protected by the strict Open Space Bylaws which prohibits the removal or disturbance of trees or planting of any vegetation without approval, of which permission must be obtained from JCPZ. These bylaws state that no person may damage any tree on any public road within the municipal area of the Council without the prior written permission from the Council, only JCPZ is authorised to remove, maintain and prune street trees.

Property owners are responsible for pruning trees on their private properties. Protected tree species in terms of the Forest Act 1984, may not be pruned or removed without the permission from the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Email crmgroup@jhbcityparks.com or log a call with Joburg Connect Call Centre on 011 375 5555 or 086 0562 874 for tree pruning requests and a reference number.

With over 3.6 million street trees in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), the protection and maintenance of existing trees is important, especially in public open spaces including parks, reserves and trees along sidewalks.

Street trees are important to our daily lives and offer many benefits in an urban environment which range from reducing flooding to cooling off streets. Research found that 40% tree cover cools streets more than the sun warms up the streets. Trees promote health and social well-being by reducing air pollution, stress, encouraging physical activity and promoting social ties. Trees not only bring nature to urban areas, but also form part of our infrastructure and are valuable assets not only to individuals but also communities at large.

Not only do trees reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and mitigate climate change, they considerably improve the quality of life of residents of the City of Joburg. Although trees drop leaves and seeds, the benefits of street trees far outweigh their challenges.

The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality regulatory framework indicates that no person may prune or remove trees on city land without prior authority from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ). In the event of a person or persons being found guilty of such an act, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality reserves the right to impose the necessary fines, penalties or legal action against anyone who does not abide by these regulations.

JCPZ is responsible for the maintenance and management of street trees on council owned land, on behalf of the City of Johannesburg. However, JCPZ does not embark on any removal and pruning of trees on private properties. Residents can report fallen trees and hanging branches to crmgroup@jhbcityparks.com or register at Joburg Connect Call Centre on 011 375 5555 or 086 0562 874 and obtain a reference number. Thereafter, the call is dispatched to a JCPZ team who will remove the fallen tree within 10 to 24 hours. The process to remove big stumps slightly differs due to the size of the foliage i.e. the big stump is removed to a safer zone to the side of the road, and the tree base will be chipped within three (3) working days, loaded and dumped at various Pikitup sites.

Complaints such as tree pruning, branch collection, trees and stump removals are resolved within 14 to 30 days based on inspection and approval of the application. Trees can be planted all year round, however, the ideal time to plant trees is during the dormant season, in autumn, after leaves drop, or early spring when new buds begin to open.

Pruning and removal of trees on council land is conducted in line with JCPZ’s Tree Management Policy. Trees may be removed by JCPZ under the following conditions:

• If the tree is diseased beyond recovery
• If the tree has been struck by lighting and poses a safety hazard to its surroundings
• If the tree is causing extensive damage to roads, buildings, dams or walls, and if damage is more than replacement and removal costs. JCPZ will be required to evaluate and determine the costs of such removal(s)
• If the tree is threatening to fall over

 THE CITY SHALL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING FACTORS BEFORE PRUNING:

• Trees will be pruned if they cause an obstruction for pedestrians, traffic, street lights, roads and traffic signs and overhead power lines
• Trees can be pruned to improve its life span and enhance its aesthetic value
• Root removal is not encouraged because this may lead to trees being unbalanced and falling over
• If trees cause a safety concern that might be hazardous to staff, public and property

JCPZ encourages residents to use the Joburg Connect Call Centre to log a call on 011 375 5555 or 086 0562 874.

Pruning or removal of trees on private property is not the responsibility of JCPZ regardless of any interference of overhead power lines and underground services. The onus lies with the land owner to make the necessary arrangements to either prune or remove trees on private property. For more information on the removal and pruning of trees, please visit www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com website.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo’s (JCPZ) primary mandate is to provide services to the residents of Johannesburg. Responding to people’s needs, the services are provided fairly, equitably, impartially and in a sustainable manner in order to ensure improved quality of life for Johannesburg residents. Below are the service standards JCPZ provides:

MAINTENCE CATEGORY	SERVICE STANDARD
Flagship Parks	Once a week
Developed Parks	Once a month
Undeveloped Parks	Within 90 days
Main Arterials	Once a month
Landscaped Islands and Town Entrances	Twice a month
Active cemeteries	Twice a month
Passive cemeteries	Within 90 days
Non-emergency complaints	Within 30 days
Emergency Complaints Category 1 – Fallen Trees	Within 10 hours
Emergency complaints Category 2 – (damaged ablutions and burst water pipes, damaged electrical wires and broken playground equipment)	Within 7 days

 

Steps to follow when logging a call:

Region	Contact	Telephone	E-mail	Escalation
A	Joseph Ndou	011 592 9944	jndou@jhbcityparks.com	Marks Sethaelo Executive Manager cbezuidenhout@jhbcityparks.com 011 712 6706
B	Alton Rankin	011 039 1940 011 039 2963	arankin@jhbcityparks.com
C	Puleng Ditabe	011 672 1310	pditabe@jhbcityparks.com
D	Mmamoleme Rakosa	011 528 8626	mrakosa@jhbcityparks.com
E	Jerome Ogle	011 883 7685	jogle@jhbcityparks.com
F	Ipeleng Dube	011 435 4727	idube@jhbcityparks.com
G	Vuyokazi Nkomo	011 857 1494	vnkomo@jhbcityparks.com
Cemeteries	Reggie Moloi	011 446 2204	rmoloi@jhbcityparks.com
Facilities Management	David Maluleke	011 683 8231	dmaluleke@jhbcityparks.com
Protected Areas	Bishop Ngobeli	011 943 3578	bngobeli@jhbcityparks.com	Lombard Shirindzi 011 782 0517 jtootla@jhbcityparks.com
Ecological Areas	Mulalo Mbedzi	011 791 1117	mbedzi@jhbcityparks.com
Johannesburg Botanical Gardens & The Wilds	Sandra Viljoen	011 782 0517	sviljoen@jhbcityparks.com
The Zoo	Piet Malepa	011 646 2000	pmalepa@jhbcityparks.com	Tshepang Makganye 011 646 2000 nkhamanga@jhbcityparks.com

 

JCPZ strives to contribute towards a green and clean liveable city.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) is responsible for the maintenance and management of 2 176 parks, 136 conservation areas, 38 cemeteries, three crematoria, Joburg Zoo, Johannesburg Botanical Garden and approximately 3.6 million street trees in the City of Johannesburg. Horticultural maintenance is one of the main services JCPZ offers within the City of Joburg. This maintenance service is rendered in parks, nature reserves, cemeteries, Johannesburg Botanical Garden, Joburg Zoo, landscaped islands and town entrances, and selected main arterials. Horticultural maintenance services include grass cutting, litter picking, weed control, flowerbed maintenance, beautification, hedge trimming, blowing of fallen leaves and raking of pathways. Maintenance is administrated to provide safe public open spaces which communities may use to improve their health and to enhance social cohesion.

Well-maintained public open spaces also provide the following benefits to City communities at large:

• Contributes to the improvement of air quality, biodiversity, tourism, promotes climate change mitigation and creates employment opportunities
• Improves environmental and economic resilience
• Builds social resilience, especially when developed and stewarded in a collaborative and community-driven approach
• By improving healthy lifestyles, a strong and growing city is built for present and future generations
• Public open spaces also have a positive impact on mental health and general well-being of human and animal life.

JCPZ provides services within the following service standard cycles:

Service standards	Target
Maintenance of flagship parks	Once a week
Maintenance of developed parks	Once a month
Maintenance of undeveloped parks	Within 90 days
Maintenance of main arterials	Once a month
Maintenance of landscaped islands and town entrances	Twice a month
Maintenance of flagship/active cemeteries	Twice a month
Maintenance of passive cemeteries	Within 90 days
Damaged park infrastructure	Within a week
Removal of emergency fallen trees	Within 10 hours

Removal of emergency fallen trees activities includes dispatching of a trees team, removal of the green debris, loading and dumping. However, the process for addressing larger fallen trees slightly differs due to the size of the foliage and, as such, the initial response includes only the removal of the big stump to a safer zone i.e. to the side of the road. Thereafter, within three working days, the process includes the chipping of the tree base, loading and dumping at various clearance Pikitup sites. JCPZ compiles and publishes maintenance schedules weekly which provide details of the work that will be carried out regionally. The schedule is available on the JCPZ website at www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com. Fallen trees that obstruct traffic, pose a danger or interfere with electricity supply are attended to within two hours. The stumps etc. may take more time to remove but the obstacle is cleared. Fallen trees within parks and open spaces that pose no threat, remains and forms part of the planned schedules. Currently, JCPZ is responsible for most green surfaces within its mandate and within the greater City of Joburg, other City departments, entities and organisations are responsible for certain portions of the work. Progressive decisions are in progress to ensure the entire City of Joburg’s green portfolio becomes the mandate of JCPZ with an adequate budget. This process is currently underway with the midterm budget reviews. The same goes for national and provincial departments and other state-owned entities. The below table reflects the relevant parties that can be contacted for services that do not form part of JCPZ’s portfolio: 

Responsible entity/organisation	Description	Contact details
Regional Environmental Health (unmaintained private stands)	Grass cutting and tree maintenance within private stands	(011) 407 6683/6790
Community Development	Maintenance of libraries, clinics, swimming pools, sports facilities, recreation centres, old age homes, public housing areas (Johannesburg Social Housing Company)	(011) 375 7173
Privately owned cemeteries	Maintenance of private cemeteries e.g. Nasrec, Fourways, Slovo cemeteries	(011) 465 1715
Privately owned property	Grass cutting and tree maintenance within privately owned property	Owner’s responsibility
City Power   Eskom	Grass cutting under transmission lines. Tree maintenance under transmission sub-stations and high-voltage areas	(011) 490 7000   0860 037 566
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA)	Grass cutting along freeways, street verges and scuffling	(011) 298 5000
Gauteng Department: Roads and Transport (Province)	Grass cutting along provincial and national roads & scuffling	(011) 355 7000/7332

For services to be provided in a sustainable manner, JCPZ urges communities to work together to keep the City of Joburg clean. As such, JCPZ hereby calls upon communities to play their part by cutting and maintaining lawns on their sidewalks and maintaining grass verges adjacent to their homes.   Let us work together to keep our city clean and green!