Tree History

We have two mulberry trees in our garden but I shall concentrate on one. The fact that the are two mulberry trees is an early indication that the mulberry tree readily seeds, saplings shoot and a new tree roots itself. Officially the mulberry belongs to the Moraceae family. It is a deciduous tree and the berries are classified as a fruit. The mulberry is not an indigenous tree in South Africa; there are many varieties of mulberry and the chief one is the white mulberry of China (which is what you are likely to find in Johannesburg Gardens). This is called the Morus Alba and although the berries purple, in unripened state the berries are white (hence Alba). 

The trunk of the Mulberry Tree

My chosen mulberry tree sits in the opposite corner of our stand in Observatory Extension. By opposite I mean that it is a boundary marker. It's a large spreading tree, possibly (and I guess here) about 10 or 12 meters in height. At this time of the year, the season of the berry (the luscious purple fruit) is over and the large distinctive leaves are turning a lemony yellow.

The leaves are serrated. My online research (environment.gov.za) informs us that the mulberry is regarded as an invasive species and is classified as a weed in South Africa. It fits into category 3 on the list of "we really...

This tree is one of those eternal landmarks of my front garden. It creates shade and one can mark the seasons by the performance of the tree, whether it's the berries on the ground in autumn or the lilac flowers on the tree (spring) which then drop their small flowers in light off-white profusion (autumn). The falling blossoms create a floral carpet on the lawn. The flowers appear in the spring and have a light scent but by this time of the year (late March) have given way to the berry fruit. The prolific seeds produce small yellow round berries, several in a cluster on a stalk. In the photo below, berries are still on the tree. Come April they will fall and blanket the lawn and we take out a rake to sweep up the berry clusters. A single tree produces huge mounds of berries.

The berries hang on a cluster around a stalk

Each Berry has the ability to produce a new tree shoot. It's a tree that quickly seeds itself and is a fast growing trees. The berries are highly toxic to children, dogs and other domestic animals but goats have been known to eat the berries and survive when there is no other grass or food for survival. It is one of those trees where you have...

This piece was written on Day 1 of our 21 day stay home in the fight against the Corona virus. I have decided to try to learn something new about our garden and home and to share my writing with Heritage Portal readers during this time of quiet introspection and anxiety. We may discover that the small things within our own multiple worlds matter more than the large events beyond our control.

I photographed the lovely evergreen Pepper tree in a corner of my garden in Observatory, Johannesburg. Its correct name is Schinus Molle (see Photographic Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa by Braam van Wyk, Piet van Wyk and Ben-Erik van Wyk, Briza publications, 2000, page 278). It is also familiarly known as a Peperboom. It is an evergreen tree and so gives pleasure throughout the year. It is large... the height must be about 15 meters (50 feet). It is a tree that gives shade and solace.

There are several names for this tree: Peruvian pepper, American pepper, Californian pepper etc.

The evergreen Pepper tree in my garden

It is called a pepper tree because it produces small white flowers which then turn into small pink (reddish) fruits. The fruit resembles little red peppercorns which can be used as a pepper substitute but the authorities say not to be eaten in large quantities. In South...