COMMON TREE OF THE YEAR : Dais Cotinifolia, Pompontree
RARE (UNCOMMON) TREE OF THE YEAR : Peltophorum Africanum, African Wattle
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Dais Cotinifolia, Pompontree
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Common names: pompon tree, pincushion tree (Eng.), kannabas, speldekussing, basboom (Afr.), intozani (Xhosa); intozwane-emnyama (Zulu)
SA Tree No: 521
The pompon tree is one of the best known and well-loved indigenous
trees, tough enough to be used as a street tree and small enough to fit
into most gardens. When in flower at Christmas it looks like a giant
candy floss, as the tree transforms into a cloud of soft pink balls. Its
natural home is the eastern part of South Africa where it grows on the
margins of forests, wooded hill slopes and in stony kloofs.
Description
Dais cotinifolia is a small tree growing only to 6 metres,
with a lovely rounded, leafy crown. It can be single - or multi-stemmed,
with the brown stems covered in small speckles of whitish cork. The
smooth, simple leaves are bright green, sometimes with a slight bluish
tinge on the upper side. The veins of the leaves are a translucent
yellow colour, forming very clear patterns as they run through the
leaves. The leaves are usually scattered up the branches or crowded at
the ends of the branches. In very cold areas the trees are deciduous,
but in warmer climates like Cape Town they only lose their leaves for a
short time at the end of winter.
The trees flower in early summer, any time from November to
December. In the city of Cape Town the street trees flower in November
and in the more protected environment of Kirstenbosch, the trees only
flower in December. The new flower buds look like lollypops, with big
round heads on long thin stems at the end of the branches. The green
heads pop open with the many small flowers in tight bunches inside,
looking like pink fluff balls. For about three weeks the tree flowers in
profusion. The tiny black seeds are formed in the bottom of the little
flowers and are ready to collect about a month or two after flowering.
After flowering, the green cup shaped bracts that held the flowers,
become hard and brown, remaining on the tree for many months. These
dried "flowers" can be used for decorations, model building and
children's games.
Conservation Status
Dais cotinifolia is not threatened.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
Eve Palmer mentions the interesting fact that Linnaeus founded the genus Dais in 1764. In this genus there are only 2 species, Dais cotinifolia from South Africa and one other species from Madagascar. Dais means
a torch in Greek, and the genus got its name from the resemblance of
the stalk and bracts holding the flowers to a torch about to be lit. The
leaves resemble those of another genus Cotinus, hence the species name cotinifolia.
Uses
Breaking a branch off this tree is quite difficult because the
bark tears off in long strips, from which accounts for its common name, *Kannabas. This is a typical characteristic of the family Thymelaeaceae to which Dais belongs. Eve Palmer notes in her description of Dais cotinifolia that the Africans, who use the bark as thread or cord, say that it has the strongest fibre of any tree in KwaZulu-Natal.
* Kannabas According to C A Smith in Common Names of S A Plants (1950) this name is incorrect and was the result of a confusion between Gonna and Kanna. "Kanna" is a Hottentot name for Sceletium (Kougoed),
a succulent plant highly valued for its narcotic effect when chewed.
"Gonna" is a collective name used by the Hottentots for several species
of Thymeleaceae.
Growing Dais cotinifolia
This is a wonderful tree for the garden, fast growing, fairly
drought resistant once established and frost hardy. When planting,
choose a sunny position and prepare it well by digging a large hole of
about 1 m x 1 m, adding lots of compost and bone meal. Water the young
tree regularly during the summer months until it is well established,
which usually takes about two years. Placing a thick mulch of compost
around the base of the tree helps to prevent water from running away,
keeps the soil moist and cool, suppresses weed growth and slowly
releases nutrients into the soil.
The tree grows easily from seed and usually seeds itself all over
the garden. Sow seed in spring or early summer in seed trays filled with
a well-drained medium. Cover the seed lightly with fine milled bark or
sand, place in a shady position and keep moist. To improve the
germination, treat the seed with a fungicide that prevents damping off.
The young seedling can be potted up as soon as they are big enough to
handle. The trees grow fast and reach their full height within 4 to 5
years, flowering from about their second year. The trees can be lightly
pruned if necessary, young trees becoming very bushy if the leader is
trimmed. Flowers are produced on the previous year's growth, so any
pruning should be done after flowering.
Liesl van der Walt
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
November 2000
Source: www.pza.sanbi.org/dais-cotinifolia
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UPCOMING TREE OF THE YEAR 2023 - Buddleja Saligna, Olive Sagewood
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YEAR
|
COMMON TREE |
RARE (Uncommon) Tree |
2000 |
Peltophorum
africanum African wattle, Huilboom |
Salix
mucronata Safsaf willow, Kaapse wilger |
2001 |
Loxostylis
alata Tarwood, Teerhout |
Ptaeroxylon
obliquum Sneezewood, Nieshout |
2002 |
Pittosporum
viridiflorum Cheesewood, Kasuur |
Alberta
magna Natal flame bush, Breekhout |
2003 |
Rhus
chirendensis
Red currant, Bostaaibos |
Pterocarpus
angolensis
Wild teak, Kiaat |
2004 |
Kirkia acuminata
and K. wilmsii
White seringa, Mountain seringa, Witsering, Bergsering |
Combretum
bracteosum Hiccup nut, Hikklimop |
2005
|
Schefflera umbellifera False cabbage
tree, Basterkiepersol |
Adansonia
digitata Baobab, Kremetart |
2006 |
Burchellia bubalina Wild pomegranate, Wildegranaat |
Raphia australis Kosi palm, Kosipalm |
2007 |
Rhus pyroides Common wild currant, Gewone Taaibos |
Pavetta schumanniana Poison Bride's
Bush Gifbruidbos |
2008 |
Harpephyllum caffrum Wild plum, Wildeprui |
Diospyros whyteana Bladder -nut, Swartbas
Markhamia zanzibarica Bell bean
tree, Klokkies-boontjieboom
|
2009 |
Acacia galpinii Money thorn, Apiesdoring |
Halleria lucida Tree fuchsia, Notsung
Pterocarpus
rotundifolius Round-leaved Teak, Dopperkiaat
|
2010 |
Acacia xanthophloea Fever tree, Koorsboom |
Rothmania capensis Cape gardenia, Kaapse Katjiepiering
Rothmannia globosa
Bell gardenia, Klokkies-Katjiepiering
Cladostemon kirkii Tonga-kerrie,
Tongakierie
|
2011 |
Pappea capensis Jacket-plum, Doppruim
|
Genus Pavetta Bride's Bushes, Bruidsbome
Nuxia congesta Common Wild Elder,
Gewone wildevlier
|
2012 |
Syzygium cordatum Water berry, Waterbessie |
Protorhus longifolia Red Beech, Rooiboekenhout
Bruguiera gymnorrhiza Black Mangrove,
Swart-wortelboom
|
2013 |
Virgilia oroboides Blossom tree, Keurboom |
Grewia occidentalis Cross-berry, Kruisbessie
Barringtonia racemosa Powder-puff Tree, Poeierkwas-boom
|
2014 |
Genus Heteropyxis Lavender trees, Laventelbome |
Vepris lanceolata White ironwood, Witysterhout |
2015 |
Combretum krausii Forest bushwilow, Bosvaderlandswilg |
Heteromorpha arborescens Parsley tree, Wildepieterseliebos |
2016 |
Ficus thonningii Common wild fig, Gewone wildevy |
Maerua cafra Common bush-cherry, Gewone witbos
Maerua angolensis
Bead-bean tree, Knoppiesboontjieboom |
2017 |
Ziziphus mucronata Hairy buffalo-thorn, Harige blinkblaar wag-n-bietjie |
Euclea pseudebenus Ebony tree, Ebbeboom |
2018 |
Genus Podocarpus Yellowwoods, Geelhoutbome
P. elongatus, P. falcatus, P. henkelii, P. latifolius
|
Boscia albitrunca Shepherd's tree, Witgat |
2019 |
Sclerocarya birrea Marula Maroela |
Philenoptera violacea Apple-leaf, Appelblaar |
2020 |
Ekebergia capensis Cape ash, Essenhout |
Adansonia digitata Baobab,Kremetart |
2021
|
Vachellia Karroo, Sweet Thorn
|
Portulacaria Afra, Spekboom
|
2022 |
Dais Cotinifolia, Pompontree
|
Peltophorum Africanum, African Wattle |
2023 |
Buddleja Saligna, Olive Sagewood
|
Bolusanthus speciosus, Tree-wisteria
|
2024
|
Searsia lancea, Karee
Searsia leptodictya, Mountain karee
|
Apodytes dimidiata subsp. dimidiata, Whitepear
|
2025
|
Sideroxylon inerme subsp. inerme, White-milkwood
Mimusops caffra, Red milkwood
|
Spirostachys africana, Tamboti
|
2026
|
Olea europaea subsp. africana, Wild Olive
|
Berchemia zeyheri, Red Ivory
|
2027
|
Dodonea Viscosa var. angustifolia, Narrow-leaved Sandolive
|
Calodendron capense, Cape chestnut
|
2028 |
Vachellia erioloba, Camel thorn
Senegalia galpinii, Monkey thorn
|
Erythrina lysistemon, Coral tree
|
2029
|
Ilex mitis, African holly
|
Aloidendron barberae, Tree aloe
|
2030 |
Dombeya rotundifolia var. rotundifolia, Wildpear
|
Burkea africana, Wild-seringa
|
2031
|
Combretum erythrophylum, River bushwillow
|
Faurea saligna, Boekenhout
|
2032
|
Cussonia spicata, cabbage-tree
Cussonia paniculata subsp. sinuata, Highveld cabbage-tree
|
Croton gratissimus var. gratissimus, Lavender Feverberry
|
2033
|
Schotia brachypetala, Weeping boerbean
Schotia afra, Karoo boer-bean
|
Rhamnus prinoides, Glossy leaf
|
2034
|
Faidherbia albida, Anatree
|
Millettia grandis, Umzimbeet
|
2035
|
Diospyros whyteana, Bladdernut
Diospyros mespiliformis, Jackal berry
|
Maytenus acuminata, Silkybark
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