Meet the trees of Namibia … More trees currently in flower

THE Yellow-bark acacia (Acacia erubescens), D. Birkenrinenakazie, A. Withaak; H. omungongomui has a pale flaking peeling bark, hence the German common name comparing the tree to European birch trees.

Mostly found on rocky hills and outcrops, such as the hills in and around Windhoek, they are now covered in lovely pink or cream flower spikes. Reportedly they produce the sweetest gum of all the acacias.

When not in flower they can most often be recognised by the almost white bark on their branches.

The Kobas or butter-tree (Cyphostemma currorii), D . Butterbaum, A. Kobas. Kobas is an iconic rock garden tree quite common in Windhoek and in other towns and villages in the drier parts of our country.

Ocurring naturally on hill slopes in western Namibia from the Kuiseb up to the Kunene River it may reach a height of 4-5 metres, while the moisture-storing trunk can have a circumference equal to the outspread arm lengths of 3-4 grown men under favourable conditions.

It is easily recognisable by its creamy, papery peeling bark and is now sprouting new leaves and greenish erect inflorescences initially shaped somewhat similar to tiny, very flat-topped acacias.

The flowers develop into bunches of bright red berries betraying the plant’s relationship to the grape vine. The squat Baines-Kobas (Cyphostemma bainesii), only up to a metre high, is found along the western parts of Namibia from the Kuiseb to the Orange River. The Kaoko Kobas (Cyphostemma uter), with five-fingered leaves, occurs only in Damara- and Kaokoland, while the Blue-green Kobas (Cyphostemma juttae) is found on hill and mountain slopes in the Karstveld.

All these make interesting garden plants and can now be seen flowering in the National Botanic Garden.

A shrubby, greyish plant often seen in water-wise plantings along pavements and in gardens is Kleinia longiflora, A. Sambokbossie, D. Besengreiskraut has long white flowers, hence the botanical name longiflora.

The Tipu tree (Tipuana tipu), hailing from South America, is a tall tree with compound leaves consisting of fairly large leaflets and now conspicuous by its smallish but numerous yellow flowers. It can be seen in many gardens in Windhoek and trees of this kind shade the municipal offices of Otjiwarongo and Orwetoweni.

Some of the past season’s fruit can still be seen on the trees and on the ground below. They consist of a single seed with a fairly large wing attached to one side giving the fruit the appearance of a hatchet.

Our indigenous violet tree (Securidaca longependunculata), locally also known as the Vicks tree and occurring on deep sandy soils in north-eastern Namibia has similarly shaped fruit.

Another very tall tree recently covered in bright yellow flowers before sprouting new leaves and shading the magistrate’s offices in Windhoek is the featherduster tree (Schizolobium parahyba). Also originating from South America, it is reported to be the tree with the largest compound leaves in the world. They may be more than a metre long.

The ringwood tree (Maerua schinzii) has been mentioned before. Because it is almost unique to Namibia I want to draw attention to typical maeruas now flowering on the highest point of Jan Jonker Road and to many of the same species around Maerua Mall.