Trees & Shrubs
About 1700 tree species are native to Southern Africa; well over 100 more exotic tree species have become naturalised in the region. Gauteng falls within the Grassland Biome, with a small section in northern Gauteng falling into the Savanna (Bushveld) Biome. However, over time, large portions of the original vegetation have been modified due to urbanisation.
South Africa has an incredible variety of organisms. This is because we have so many different ecosystems: the Grasslands of the Highveld; the Vynbos of the Cape; the forests of KwaZulu-Natal; and many more. Each of these unique ecosystems is made up of various habitats which encompass multiple complex communities of plants and animals.
Gauteng is often considered the business central of South Africa and for good reason. Rapid development in this relatively small province has led to the destruction of large areas of natural habitat and will continue to do so unless measures are taken to ensure positive development while preserving biodiversity.
Trees are extremely important to all forms of life and have many uses essential to humanity. Trees and plants are the lungs of our world because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen; they filter the air of pollutants; they provide excellent shelter for many animals; they are used as nesting sites for many species; they provide food in the form of fruit; they feed the soil with their wood and leaves; their wood is used for manufacturing of numerous products; and they provide excellent burning material for heat, light and industry. They are also aesthetically pleasing and are used in many different landscaping designs.
Every tree species is unique and offers different benefits to an ecosystem. Variety is the “spice of life” and this can be applied to vegetation. The more tree and plant species that occur within an ecosystem, the greater its value is to the organisms which inhabit the area. This is referred to as heterogeneity and is fundamental to animal biodiversity.
If you have seen a species in the area that is not on the list please contact me so I can add it. Please be aware that if the species you saw is unusual or out of range I will need a photo as verification before I can add it to the list. Email: Biodiversity@gekco.co.za
# |
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
1 | Acacia caffra | Common hook-thorn |
2 | Acacia karroo | Sweet Thorn |
3 | Acacia mearnsii | Black Wattle |
4 | Acacia melanoxylon | Australian Blackwood |
5 | Acacia podalyriifolia | Pearl acacia |
6 | Acacia robusta | Ankle thorn; Brack thorn |
7 | Acacia sieberiana | Paperbark thorn |
8 | Acokanthera oppositifoloia | Common Poison Bush |
9 | Agave sp | |
10 | Brachylaena rotundata | Mountain Silver Oak |
11 | Buddleja saligna | False Olive |
12 | Buddelja salvifolia | Sagewood |
13 | Calodendrum capensis | Cape Chestnut |
14 | Canthium mundianum | |
15 | Canthium mundianum gilfillanii | Velvet rock alder |
16 | Carissa bispinosa | Forest num-num |
17 | Cassine burkeana | Transvall Kooboo Berry |
18 | Cassine transvaalensis | Transvaal saffron |
19 | Celtis africana | White stinkwood |
20 | Clerodendrum glabrum | White Cats Whiskers |
21 | Combretum erythrophyllum | River bush willow |
22 | Combretum molle | Velvet Bushwillow |
23 | Cotoneaster pannosa | Cotoneaster |
24 | Cryptolepis oblongifolia | Bokhoring |
25 | Cussonia paniculata | Mountain Cabbage Tree |
26 | Dichrostachys cineria | Sickle bush |
27 | Diospyros lycioides | Bluebush |
28 | Diospyros whyteana | Bladder-nut |
29 | Dombeya rotundifolia | Common wild pear |
30 | Dovyalis zeyheri | Wild Apricot |
31 | Ehretia rigida | Puzzle bush |
32 | Englerophytum magalismontanum | Transvaal milkplum |
33 | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | Blue gum tree |
34 | Eucalyptus grandis | Flooded gum, Rose gum |
35 | Euclea crispavar. crispa | Blue guarri |
36 | Euclea schimperi | River guarri |
37 | Euclea undulata | Common guarri |
38 | Euphorbia sp. | |
39 | Ficus ingens | Red-leaved fig |
40 | Gardenia sp. | |
41 | Grewia flava | Velvet Raisen |
42 | Grewia occidentalis | Cross-berry |
43 | Gymnosporia buxifolia | Common spike thorn |
44 | Halleria lucida | Tree Fuschia |
45 | Heteromorpha arborescens | Parsley tree |
46 | Jacaranda mimmosfolia | Jacaranda tree |
47 | Lannea edulis | Wild grape |
48 | Lantana camara | Tick Berry |
49 | Lantana rugosa | Birds Brandy |
50 | Lippia javanica | Fever Tea |
51 | Lopholaena platyphylla | Broad-leaved fluff bush |
52 | Maerua cafra | Common bush-cherry |
53 | Maytenus polyacantha | |
54 | Melia azedarach | Syringa tree |
55 | Mundulea sericea | Cork bush |
56 | Mystroxylon aethiopicum | Kooboo-berry |
57 | Nerium oleander | Oleander |
58 | Nuxia congesta | Common Wild Elder |
59 | Olea europaea subsp. africana | Wild olive |
60 | Opuntia ficus-indica | Prickly Pear |
61 | Osysris lanceolata | Rock Tannin Bush |
62 | Ozoroa sp. | Resin tree |
63 | Pappea capensis | Jacket-plum |
64 | Parinari capensis | Dwarf Mobola |
65 | Pavetta gardeniifolia | Christmas bride’s bush |
66 | Pinus pinaster | Cluster pine |
67 | Pittosporum viridiflorum | Cheesewood |
68 | Populus canescenes | Grey Poplars |
69 | Protea caffra | Common Protea |
70 | Rhus dentata | Nana-berry |
71 | Rhus discolor | Grassveld Karree |
72 | Rhus dura | |
73 | Rhus lancea | Karree |
74 | Rhus Leptodictya | Mountain Karree |
75 | Rhus pyroides | Common wild current |
76 | Rhynchosia nitens | Ferweelboontjie |
77 | Robinia pseudoacacia | Black locust |
78 | Sarcostemma viminale | Rapunzel plant |
79 | Scolopia zeyheri | Thorn pear |
80 | Senecio barbertonicus | Barberton Groundsel |
81 | Solanum mauritianum | Bug tree/ Bugweed |
82 | Seriphium plumosum | Bankrupt bush/ Slangbos |
83 | Strychnos pungens | Spine-leaved monkey-orange |
84 | Tapinanthus natalitius | Natal mistletoe/ Birdlime bush |
85 | Tapinanthus rubromarginatus | Red Mistletoe |
86 | Tapiphyllum parvifolium | Wild Medlar |
87 | Tecomeria capensis | Cape honeysuckle |
88 | Vangueria infausta | African Medlar |
89 | Zanthoxylum capense | Small knobwood |
90 | Ziziphus mucronata | Buffalo-thorn |
91 | Ziziphus zeyheriana | Dwarf Buffalo Thorn |