Tokai Arboretum
Tokai Arboretum | |
---|---|
Location | |
Nearest city | Cape Town |
Coordinates | 34°03′35″S 18°25′00″E / 34.0596694°S 18.4167583°E |
Area | 64 acres (26 ha)[1] |
Governing body | South African National Parks |
Website | South African National Parks |
The Tokai Arboretum was the first large-scale silviculture experimental station in Cape Town, South Africa. The area of the main Arboretum, at Tokai Park, is 14 ha. Several adjacent compartments extend the area to 26 ha. The Arboretum was declared a National Monument in 1985, on its 100th anniversary. It contains stands of Eucalyptus and other trees from the original silviculture experiments in South Africa. In the 1990s a Gondwana Garden was created to display the plants typical of the Cape 100 million years ago.[2]
The Tokai Arboretum is a collection of trees of different sizes, established without a silvicultural or arboricultural plan (lack of open vistas, swards, shrubberies and beds of flowers to display the trees). Tokai Arboretum has stands of Karri (
The main Arboretum at Tokai is the oldest wholly government financed arboretum in South Africa. Following the establishment of the main Arboretum, three lesser arboreta were initiated at Tokai Plantation, namely the Paddock Arboretum (on infertile sands of the Cape Flats), the Spekboom Belt Arboretum (on fertile granite slopes) and the Flagstaff Arboretum. The latter was soon abandoned.[2]
History
The first exotic plantings at Tokai were made in 1694, when English Oaks (
From 1906-1911 Tokai hosted The South African Forestry School "for training men for the higher grades of the Forest Service." Two students of this school, J.D.M. Keet and A.J. O'Conner, later became directors of national forestry. In 1932 this school was moved to Saasveld, near
Current state
Although many of the trees are healthy, many are dead or moribund. Heavy invasions by Long-leaf Wattle, Blackwood, Cypress, Eucalyptus and Australian Cheesewood need to be continuously controlled. Black Locust and English Elm are coppicing particularly badly. Heavy invasions by Outeniqua and Real Yellowwood (alien to the Cape Flats) are also evident. Some areas are heavily infested with Kikuyu and Buffalo Grass. The roads through the main Arboretum are also generally in a poor condition.[2]
References
- ^ "Tokai and Cecilia Management Framework 2005–2025" (PDF). South African National Parks. 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Van Rooyen, A.H.J (2015). The History of Tokai Park, 1792 to 1910, as record of a heritage strategy. Doctoral Thesis.
- ^ Tony Rebelo (2018-10-22). "TREES OF THE TOKAI ARBORETUM". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
- ^ Immelman, W.F.E. (1973). Our green heritage: a book about indigenous and exotic trees in South Africa, about trees and timber in our cultural history and about our extensive silvicultural, forestry and timber industries. Tafelberg, Cape Town. pp. 25–28.
External links
Attribution:
As of this edit, this article uses content from "Tokai National Arboretum", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the