Jack Holloway
Passionate Gardener
SEQUOIA FARM Haenertsburg South Africa
Calling all Australians!
24 Apr '06 3:34 am This pic is for all of you, because gum trees (Bluegums as they are known here) are to be seen all over South Africa. Almost every farm had them planted in the 19th century - for fuel, for quick shade, for shelter. In addition together with pine plantations they form the chief agriculture in our misty mountain area. Every now and again you find spectacular examples. Even though they are planted on nearly the lowest part of the farm, the two on the right have dominated our valley since long before my grandfather bought the farm in 1950.
25 Apr '06 1:10 pm Aargh! Those gum trees look like sleeping giants, Jack! Did you know that here they are not drought tolerant enough, and often when summer is droughty they'll die - all of a sudden - quite mature gums, that is.
I suspect that visitors to Australia are much more emotional about gum trees than the 'natives'. We tend to take our country's native plants and shrubs so much for granted - until we leave home!
Jack Holloway
Passionate Gardener
SEQUOIA FARM Haenertsburg South Africa
Gums & drought
26 Apr '06 12:12 am Intersting info, Moosey! In the big drought of the early 90s here, whole plantations died. I always assumed that they were highly bred clones, bred for speed of growth and conformity, but no consideration for what obviously should not be a problem - drought! I did not realise that drought ever was an issue in NZ. What is your rainfall like in good and bad years?
janbay
distinguished helper
gums
26 Apr '06 9:09 am jack i'm an aussie and i could not figure out why you were calling all australians ,as you said the gums were planted in africa. aussie gums were here when whites first came here and i could not imagine the indigines aboriginals planting them so explain your point .by the way they are lovely all gums are
Jack Holloway
Passionate Gardener
SEQUOIA FARM Haenertsburg South Africa
pride in one's indigenous plants
26 Apr '06 9:59 pm Janbay, I was just saying here's an opportunity for Aussies to say 'hey look!'; if you had shown me a pic of arums, (Zantedechia) which grow wild on my farm, I would have a stab of patriotic pride and pleasure that you also knew them. Simple as that, I guess...
janbay
distinguished helper
aussie jan
26 Apr '06 10:28 pm now i understand i just love the gums i think they should be all over the world .did you mean arum is that a lilly
moosey
head gardener
Gums and Arums
27 Apr '06 11:58 am There are lots of different gum trees. I remember when I visited Tasmania that they had their very 'own' variety!
Ones called 'Silver Dollar', whose juvenile leaves do something strange (I really should do some research before I start writing!), used to be really popular in English mixed borders, for their foliage. I guess they kept them deliberately small.
Big gum trees are splendid. Aussie Jan, mine won't be as big as you're used to, but they're extremely handsome!
Jack I didn't know that Arums were South African 'icons' of the plant world. Wow!
