Tokai Arboretum's Journal

Please see:
https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/52235-edible-inedible-and-poisonous-fungi-in-the-arboretum-and-tokai

guide available at: https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/13829

TREES OF THE TOKAI ARBORETUM

About 900 plants in 300 species are recorded in the main Arboretum. Numbers of plants in brackets are for 1997 (where not given, only 1 plant exists), or alternatively (where two numbers are given) for both 1986 and 1997. The date of first planting is given for recorded species.

Ordered by Family and then alphabetically by Latin name.
Synonyms are only provided for species found on older lists.
 = all dead;  = indigenous to Tokai;  invasive alien

Birch Family Betulaceae

Formosan Alder Alnus formosana
Grey Alder Alnus incana
Silver Birch Betula pendula (= alba)  1886
European Hop-hornbeam Ostrya carpinifolia

Box Family Buxaceae

Box Buxus sempervirens
Buffalothorn Ziziphus mucronata

Cacao Family Sterculiaceae

Flame Kurrajong Brachychiton acerifolius (2)
Lacebark Kurrajong Brachychiton populneus (2) 

Chile Pine Family Araucariaceae

Parana Pine Araucaria angustifolia
Bunya-bunya Araucaria bidwillii
Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla (= excelsa) (2)

Citrus or Buchu Family Rutaceae

Cape Chestnut Calodendrum capense (4)
Wing Prickly-ash Zanthoxylum alatum

Cypress Family Cupressaceae

Cypress-Pine sundry Callitris sp
Black Cypress-Pine Callitris endlicheri (= calcarata) (2)
Oyster Bay Pine Callitris rhomboidea
California Incense Cedar Calocedrus decurrens
Lawson Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (4)
Japanese Red Cedar Cryptomeria japonica
Hayata Cunninghamia konishii
Chinese Fir Cunninghamia lanceolata (2)
Rough-bark Arizona Cypress Cupressus arizonica (2)
Gowen Cypress Cupressus goveniana
Tekate Cypress Cupressus forbesii
Weeping Cypress Cupressus funebris (= Juniperus) (15)
Cedar of Goa Cupressus lusitanica (25/ 19) 1886
Bentham’s Cypress Cupressus lusitanica var. benthamii (= benthamii)
Monterey Cypress Cupressus macrocarpa (31/ 22) 1886
Italian Cypress Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis (10) 1886
Italian Cypress Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta (8)
Sargent Cypress Cupressus sargentii
Bhutan Cypress Cupressus torulosa (8) 1886
Juniper sundry Juniperus sp (6)
Canary Islands Juniper Juniperus cedrus (9)
One-seed Juniper Juniperus monosperma
Pencil Cedar Juniperus virginiana (16) 
Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens (4)
Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum (3) 1886
Coffin Tree Taiwania cryptomerioides
Chinese Thuja Thuja orientalis
Willowmore Cypress Widdringtonia schwarzii
Mulanje Cypress Widdringtonia whytei

Elder Family Adoxaceae

Maple-leaf Viburnum Viburnum acerifolia
Korean Spice Viburnum Viburnum carlesii
Wayfaring Tree Viburnum lantana
Viburnum unknown – name not found: Viburnum latifolia

Elm Family Ulmaceae

White Stinkwood Celtis africana 
Sugarberry Celtis mississipiensis
English Elm Ulmus procera (= campestris) (32/ 22) 1886
Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia

Fibrebark Family Thymelaeaceae

Pompon Tree Dais cotinifolia
Mezereon Daphne mezereum

Fig Family Moraceae

Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla (3)
Taiwan Fig Ficus retusa (5)
Port Jackson Fig Ficus rubiginosa (2)
Osage Orange Maclura pomifera

Gum Family Myrtaceae

Western Australian Peppermint Agonis flexuosa (4)
Sydney Red Gum Angophora costata (19/ 15) 1886
Marri Corymbia calophylla (2)
Lemon-scented Spotted Gum Corymbia citriodora
Yellow Bloodwood Corymbia eximia
Red Flowering Gum Corymbia ficifolia (7) 1886
Spotted Gum Corymbia maculata
Gum sundry Eucalyptus sp. (3)
White Box Eucalyptus albens
Blakely’s Red Gum Eucalyptus blakelyi
Blaxland’s Stringybark Eucalyptus blaxlandii
Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides
Red River Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis (5) 
Brown Stringybark Eucalyptus capitellata (2)
Sugar Gum Eucalyptus cladocalyx (2) 1895 
Yate Eucalyptus cornuta (2)
Cup Gum Eucalyptus cosmophylla
Karri Eucalyptus diversicolor (3) 1895 
River Peppermint Eucalyptus elata (= andreana)
Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus 1895
Tuart Eucalyptus gomphocephala
Flooded Gum Eucalyptus grandis (4) 1895 
Red Bloodwood Eucalyptus gummifera
Cider Gum Eucalyptus gunnii
Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus haemastoma
Bushy Yate Eucalyptus lehmannii 
Yellow Gum Eucalyptus leucoxylon var. sideroxylon (3
Yellow Gum hybrid Eucalyptus leucoxylon X ? (= jugalis)
Woolly Butt Eucalyptus longifolia (3)
Red Stringybark Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
Jarrah Eucalyptus marginata 1895
Bullich Eucalyptus megacarpa (2)
Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora
Green-leaf Box Eucalyptus microcarpa
Tallow Wood Eucalyptus microcorys (3)
Yellow Stringybark Eucalyptus muelleriana
Messmate Eucalyptus obliqua (5) 1895
Dongora Mallee Eucalyptus obtusiflora
Grey Ironbark Eucalyptus paniculata (3) 
Swan River Black Butt Eucalyptus patens
Large-fruit Red Mahogany Eucalyptus pellita
Black Butt Eucalyptus pilularis 1895
Sydney Peppermint Eucalyptus piperita (= bottii) (2)
Red Box Eucalyptus polyanthemos (3)
White Peppermint Eucalyptus pulchella (= linearis)
Small-fruit Grey Gum Eucalyptus propinqua
Grey Gum Eucalyptus punctata (3)
Grey Peppermint Eucalyptus radiata (3)
Mountain Ash Eucalyptus regnans
Swamp Mahogany Eucalyptus robusta
Sydney Blue Gum Eucalyptus saligna (2)
Mugga Eucalyptus sideroxylon (3)
Silverton Ash Eucalyptus sieberi (= sieberiana)
Silver Peppermint Eucalyptus tenuiramis (= tasmanica)
Forest Red Gum Eucalyptus tereticornis (2)
Ribbon Gum Eucalyptus viminalis
Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. cygnetensis (= huberiana) (2)
Wandoo Eucalyptus wandoo (= redunca) (2)
Australian Myrtle Leptospermum laevigatum (2) 
Brush Box Lophostemon confertus (= Tristania) (32/ 25) 1886
Paperbark sundry Melaleuca sp
Bracelet Honeymyrtle Melaleuca armillaris (3)
Saltwater Paperbark Melaleuca cuticularis (10)
Hillock Bush Melaleuca hypericifolia (3)
Niaouli Melaleuca leucadendra
Snow-in-summer Melaleuca linariifolia (3)
Prickly-leaf Paperbark Melaleuca styphelioides (13)
Lemon Bottlebrush Melaleuca citrina
(= Callistemon, M. lanceolatus)
Stiff Bottlebrush Melaleuca rigida (= Callistemon) 
Willow Bottlebrush Melaleuca saligna (= Callistemon) (14)
Brush Cherry Syzygium australe
Waterberry Syzygium cordatum
Malabar Plum Syzygium jambos

Jacaranda Family Bignoniaceae

Jacaranda Jacaranda mimosifolia
Bower Vine sundry Pandora sp

Mahogany Family Meliaceae

Toon Tree Cedrela toona (3) 
Cape Ash Ekebergia capensis (3)
Syringa Melia azedarach 
Trichilia Trichilia roka

Mango Family Anacardiaceae

Wild Plum Harpephyllum caffrum (7)
Pistachio sundry Pistacia sp
Mastic Pistacia lentiscus
Turpentine Tree Pistacia terebinthus (3)
Prairie Sumac Rhus lanceolata
Red Currant-rhus Searsia chirindensis (= Rhus)
Wax Tree Toxicodendron succedaneum (= Rhus)

Maple Family Aceraceae

Downy Japanese Maple Acer japonicum
Montpelier Maple Acer monspessulanum
Japanese Maple Acer palmatum

Oak Family Fagaceae

Sawtooth Oak Quercus acutissima (6)
Californian Live Oak Quercus agrifolia
American White Oak Quercus alba  1886
Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor
Algerian Oak Quercus canariensis (25) (= mirbeckii) 1916
Turkey Oak Quercus cerris (19) 1886
Ring-cup Oak Quercus glauca
Holm Oak Quercus ilex (4)
Banj Oak Quercus leucotrichophora (4)
Valley Oak Quercus lobata
Burr Oak Quercus macrocarpa (3) 1916
Black-jack Oak Quercus marilandica (2)
Water Oak Quercus nigra 1916
Pin Oak Quercus palustris (2) 1916
Durmast Oak Quercus petraea (3) 1916
Willow Oak Quercus phellos (6)
English Oak Quercus robur (30/ 34)
Netleaf Oak Quercus rugosa (= reticulata) 1916
Post Oak Quercus stellata (5)
Cork Oak Quercus suber (37)
Oak hybrid Bebb’s Oak Quercus X bebbiana (2)
Oak hybrid Compton’s Oak Quercus X comptonii
Oak unknown – name not found: Quercus campicola (2)

Olive Family Oleaceae

Ash sundry Fraxinus sp
Narrow-leaf Ash Fraxinus angustifolia (5)
Common Ash Fraxinus excelsior  1886
Manna Ash Fraxinus ornus
Red Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica (2)
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica var. lanceolata (2) 1916 (= pubescens, = var. subintegerrima)
Velvet Ash Fraxinus velutina
Japanese Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium
Small Ironwood Olea capensis (3) 
Wild Olive Olea europaea s. africana (3) 
Black Ironwood Olea laurifolia (3)

Pea Family Fabaceae

Two-vein Hickory Acacia binervata 1886 [Pea]
Silver-leaf Wattle Acacia falcata
Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon  1886
Orchid Tree Bauhinia variegata
Carob Tree Ceratonia siliqua (7)
Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum
Coast Coraltree Erythrina caffra
Cocksspur Coral Tree Erythrina crista-galli
Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos
Umzimbeet Millettia grandis (2)
Karoo Boerbean Schotia afra
Weeping Boerbean Schotia brachypetala
Bush Boer-bean Schotia latifolia (4)
Umtiza Umtiza listeriana
Western Keurboom Virgilia oroboides (2) 

Pine Family Pinaceae

Deodar Cedrus deodara (6)
Spruce sundry Picea sp
West Himalayan Spruce Picea smithiana (3)
Pine sundry Pinus sp (2)
Arizona Pine Pinus arizonica
Canary Pine Pinus canariensis (28/ 27) 1886 
Mexican Pinyon Pinus cembroides
Big-cone Pine Pinus coulteri (2) 1916
Michaoacan Pine Pinus devoniana (= michoacana)
Short-leaf Pine Pinus echinata  1895
Apache Pine Pinus engelmannii 1916
Spruce Pine Pinus glabra
Aleppo Pine Pinus halepensis (4) 1886 
Khasi Pine Pinus kesiya (2)
Lawson’s Pine Pinus lawsonii 1916
Chihuahua Pine Pinus leiophylla
Lumholtz’s Pine Pinus lumholtzii  1916
Montezuma Pine Pinus montezumae var. hartwegii  1916
Bishop Pine Pinus muricata (2) 1895
Austrian Pine Pinus nigra var. nigra  1916
Egg-cone Pine Pinus oocarpa
Long-leaf Pine Pinus palustris
Mexican Pine Pinus patula 1916
Cluster Pine Pinus pinaster (6) 1886 
Stone Pine Pinus pinea 1850s
Western Yellow Pine Pinus ponderosa 1916
Smooth-bark Mexican Pine Pinus pseudostrobus 1916
Table Mountain Pine Pinus pungens
Monterey Pine Pinus radiata (49/29) 1884 
Northern Pitch Pine Pinus rigida
Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii (= longifolia)  1895
Weymouth Pine Pinus strobus  1916
Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris
Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda (2) 1895 
Bhutan Pine Pinus wallichiana (3)

Plane Family Platanaceae

London Plane Platanus X hispanica (= X acerifolia) (4) 1886
Oriental Plane Platanus orientalis

Rose Family Rosaceae

Common Pearlbush Exochorda racemosa
Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia (? Heteromalla)
Siberian Crab Malus baccata
Red Stinkwood Prunus africana
Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius
Black Cherry Prunus serorina (? Populus)  1886
Chinese Quince Pseudocydonia sinensis

Sagewood Family Buddlejaceae

Olive Sagewood Buddleja saligna
Forest Nuxia Nuxia floribunda

She Oak Family Casuarinaceae

She Oak sundry Casuarina sp
Black She Oak Allocasuarina suberosa (3) (= Casuarina)
Forest She Oak Allocasuarina torulosa (= Casuarina)
Beefwood Casuarina cunninghamiana (3) 

Spikethorn Family Celastraceae

Cape Saffron Cassine peragua (= kraussiana) (3) 
Common Saffron Elaeodendron croceum
(= Cassine papillosa) (18)
Small-leaf Saffron Elaeodendron zeyheri (= Cassine crocea)
Common Spike Thorn Gymnosporia buxifolia 
(= Maytenus heterophylla)
Mountain Maytenus Maytenus oleoides
(= Gymnosporia laurina) (2)

Sugarbush Family Proteaceae

White Silky Oak Grevillea hilliana (6)
Australian Silky Oak Grevillea robusta (10) 
Silvertree Leucadendron argenteum 
Waratah Telopea speciosissima

Walnut Family Juglandaceae

Hickory sundry Carya sp
Chinese Wing Nut Pterocarya stenoptera

Wild Peach Family Flacourtiaceae

Kei Apple Dovyalis caffra
Wild Peach Kiggelaria africana (9) 
Red Pear Scolopia mundii 

Willow Family Salicaceae

Grey Poplar Populus X canescens (2)
Grey Poplar Populus canescens var. rossii (2) 1916
Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides var. missouriensis 1916
Cottonwood Populus robusta

Yellowwood Family Podocarpaceae

Yellowwood sundry Podocarpus sp. (2)
Outeniqua Yellowwood Podocarpus falcatus (25/ 27)
(= Afrocarpus; = gracilior)
Henkel’s Yellowwood Podocarpus henkelii
Real Yellowwood Podocarpus latifolius (24/ 22) 

Other Families

Tree of Heaven Ailanthus altissima (3)  [Tree of Heaven]
White Pear Apodytes dimidiata (2) [White Pear]
Argan Argania spinosa [Milkwood]
Wild Pomegranate Burchellia bubalina (2) [Coffee]
Rock Alder Canthium mundianum  [Onionwood]
Western Catalpa Catalpa speciosa [Trumpet Vine]
New South Wales Christmas Bush
Ceratopetalum gummiferum (4) [Wild Alder]
Camphor Cinnamomum camphora (= ? Camphora)
(5) 1886  [Avocado]
Assegaai Curtisia dentata (12)  [Dogwood]
Russian Silverberry Elaeagnus angustifolia [Silverberry]
Kamassi Gonioma kamassi (4) [Oleander]
Cape Holley Ilex mitis  [Holly]
Beauty Bush Kolkwitzia amabilis [Honeysuckle]
Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua [Witch Hazel]
Coldbark Ochna Ochna arborea (2) [Boxwood]
Stinkwood Ocotea bullata  [Bay]
Screw Pine sundry Pandanus sp [Screw Pine]
Australian Cheesewood Pittosporum undulatum 
[Cheesewood]
Sneezewood Ptaeroxylon obliquum (12) [Sneezewood]
Epaulette Tree Pterostyrax hispidus [Styrax]
Cape Beech Rapanea melanophloeos  [Myrsine]
Unknown ?Belotina sp  1886 [?]
Source: Chris Botes (SAFCOL, SANPARKS)

Originally posed on iSpot 3 December 2014 - 11:03AM Tony Rebelo
cc by-sa 3.0

No other arboretum can match the splendid stand of Karri or the magnificent groves of Scribbly Gum, Jarra and Western Australian Blackbutt that the Tokai Arboretum boasts: possibly the finest in existence anywhere outside Australia. Similarly the stands of Canary, Aleppo and Stone Pines are beautiful. No other arboretum can rival the assemblage of big trees found in the Main Arboretum, an estimated 28 of which are record heights for South Africa. The collection represents an unsurpassed arboreal heritage.
The Tokai Arboretum is, however, a hotchpotch of big and small trees, established without a plan and without sylvicultural or arboricultural finesse. There is a lack of open vistas, swards, shrubberies and beds of flowers to show off the trees. The composition and lay-out is unsatisfactory in that there is repetition of some species in plots and singly. Thus far fewer species are contained than is potentially the case. It is also sadly neglected, infested with invasive species, and without a dedicated maintenance staff.

The Main Arboretum at Tokai is the oldest wholly government financed arboretum in South Africa. The Main Arboretum contains mainly hundreds of single trees and groups of trees as well as numerous small plots and a few larger stands. Some of these comprise the celebrated “Eucalyptium”. Following the establishment of the Main Arboretum, three lesser arboreta were brought into being at Tokai Plantation, namely the Paddock Arboretum (on infertile sands of the flats), the Spekboom Belt Arboretum (on fertile granite slopes) and the Flagstaff Arboretum. The last was soon abandoned.

The area of the Main Arboretum is 14 ha. Several adjacent compartments extend the area to 26 ha.
The first exotic plantings at Tokai were made in 1694, when 4379 English Oaks were established there by Simon van der Stel. The earliest attempt at commercial afforestation at Tokai was in 1884 when Joseph Storr Lister planted Monterey Pines. In 1886 an arboretum was laid out adjoining the nursery at Tokai, and 150 species were established, including a few indigenous and some national-indigenous species. There was already a small copse and scattered trees of Stone Pine. During the year 1902 some 43 plant species were established in the arboretum.

These trees were planted singly in a park-like formation. Specimens of other exotic trees were added from time to time as new introductions became available. This is ideal for displaying a large variety of different trees. However, this mixture of species, as well as the discrepancies between the ages of the trees, precludes a sylvicultural evaluation of the trees. A systematic effort was thus made to introduce other exotic species for plantation trial and, it was decided to obtain species from countries with similar climates. Trees from Australia, India, the southern states of North America and Mexico consequently received attention.

A large number of gums, pines and conifers were imported and planted in small trial plots of various sizes, with new plots added as species became available. However, these were sometimes so small that less rapidly-growing species were influenced by faster-growing neighbours. Nevertheless, general health and acclimatization could be judged, and it was concluded that conifers were more suited to the area than broad-leaf trees, although Gums did well on deep, rich soils. Single trees were still planted for demonstration, including in 1916 Mexican pines and other American trees such as Oaks.
From 1906-1911 Tokai hosted The South African Forestry School “for training men for the higher grades of the Forest Service.” Two students, J.D.M. Keet and A.J. O’Conner, became later directors of Forestry. This was replaced school for training men for the forester grade from 1912-1932. This school was moved to Saasveld, near George, in 1932.

In 1933 the director of forestry, Mr. J.D.M. Keet, requested the conservator of Forestry to devote more attention to the arboretum’s upkeep, and provided specific instructions, aimed at making the area more attractive to visitors and at improving its educative and scientific value. Perhaps because of the war, the arboretum lapsed steadily into a state of greater neglect. During 1951, Mr. Paul Sauer, as minister of Forestry, also remarked unfavourably on the unkempt appearance and the absence of labels. His instructions were apparently barely acted upon.
In the 1970s several dyeing, mammoth Stone Pines had to be brought down limb by limb so as to minimize damage to smaller trees beneath them. Many of the latter had become badly misshapen by shade. Some trees were, unfortunately, no longer healthy, and others had been thrown by wind. In the small plots less robust species have been suppressed or forced to grow sideways.

Although many of the trees are healthy and attractive, many dead, moribund, broken or misshapen individuals exist. Attention to this was given from 1984 to 1986, but more work is still needed. Dangerous, defective and unsightly trees have to be felled or shaped both to render the area safe for the public and to improve its aesthetic quality: not least by opening up vistas which will bring some of the finer specimens into greater prominence, and gaps need to be filled with trees, shrubs, flower beds and lawns.
Heavy invasions by Long-leaf Wattle, Blackwood and also by Cypresses, Gums and Australian Cheesewood need to be continuously controlled. Black Locust and English Elm are coppicing particularly badly. Very heavy invasions by Outeniqua and Real Yellowwood are also evident: dense thickets of these species need to be thinned out or removed. Some areas are heavily infested with Kikuyu and Buffalo Grass: these should be mowed or eliminated.

The roads through the Main Arboretum are generally in a poor condition. They should be resurfaced and properly drained. Footpaths should be laid out in the “Eucalyptium” and repaired elsewhere. Benches, logs and rubbish bins must be provided. Additional toilets and ablution facilities should be provided. A proper water reticulation system should be installed to the main concentrations of shrubberies, herbaceous borders and lawns.

The Main Arboretum was declared a National Monument in August 1985, on its 100th anniversary.
In the 1990s an attempt was made to establish a Gondwana Garden to show off the plants typical of Gondwana, many of which were present at the Cape 60 million years ago. However, competition with existing trees resulted in poor establishment and the plantings were abandoned.

Sources: Our Green Heritage 1973, p. 25-28; S.A. Biografiese Woordeboek, III, HSRC, 1977, p. 541; HB Rycroft & RJ Poynton, Status of Forestry Arboreta, 1983; H. Mauve, Under the Elephant's Eye, a short history of Tokai, p. 9; Standard Encyclopaedia of S.A., p. 447; Chris Botes, TMNP

Tony Rebelo cc by-sa 3.0 (originally prepared for Tokai Manner 1 - newsletter of Friends of Tokai Park, with a view to posting as a Wiki page, but posted here due to copyright delays)