Haenertsburg is a village situated on the edge of the Great Escarpment in the Limpopo Province of South Africa , on the R71 road between Polokwane (formerly: Pietersburg ) and Tzaneen en route to the Kruger National Park .
19-657: Farming and tourism are the main economic activities on "The Mountain" as it is locally known; Haenertsburg is in hilly terrain. The Iron Crown mountain is the highest point in Limpopo and is a well-known landmark. Frequent mists and relatively high rainfall have created a lush vegetation with afromontane forest patches occupying the kloofs (gullies) which dot the grasslands and surrounding mountains. However, large areas of rare, and botanically diverse, grassland (Woodbush Granite Grassland) have been planted to timber (primarily timber for pulping). These monoculture plantations extract
38-595: A clean, unbuttressed bole and the bark is smooth and grey or cinnamon-coloured. The leaves have pointed tips and toothed edges, and are arranged in opposite pairs. The leaf surface is smooth and dark glossy green, while the stalks and the twigs are covered in silky reddish hair. Very young growth is also velvety to the touch and bronze-gold in colour. The tiny flowers are cream-coloured and velvety, but relatively inconspicuous. The tree bears dense clusters of small, white berries. They generally appear in winter and are pure white (sometimes tinged with pink or red). They remain on
57-585: A decline in the species in some areas of South Africa. The tree is protected in South Africa. This tree gets its common name from the African spear – the Zulu Assegai – which was traditionally made from this tree's strong wood. The Zulu would intentionally damage the tree's main trunk, causing the tree to coppice from its base. The straight, strong shoots of the coppice were used for the shafts of
76-634: A great deal of water and the resulting water shortages downstream (in the Kruger National Park and Mozambique) are cause for concern. A local volunteer group, FROHG (Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands) helps to conserve the indigenous flora and fauna. Funds are raised to create educational materials, maintain a hiking trail, remove alien invasive plants and alert the authorities to illegal developments like bulldozing for pipelines, fencing and even squatting. The scenery of
95-473: A tall tree, but on open mountain slopes and by the coast it remains a small bushy tree. Curtisia has been in decline in some areas, as its bark is highly valued for traditional medicine. It is now a Protected Tree in South Africa. The Assegai tree is attractive, fast-growing and hardy. When planted alone, it grows into a shapely, evergreen tree . Planted in a row it makes an attractive, tall, leafy hedge and it grows especially dense and bushy when planted in
114-461: Is a flowering tree from Southern Africa . It is the sole species in genus Curtisia , which was originally classed as a type of "dogwood" ( Cornaceae ) , but is now placed in its own unique family Curtisiaceae . It is increasingly popular as an ornamental tree for gardens, with dark glossy foliage and sprays of pure white berries. The bark of this tree is a very popular component of traditional African medicine, leading to overexploitation and
133-496: Is a near-endemic. The tree genera Afrocrania , Balthasaria , Curtisia , Ficalhoa , Hagenia , Kiggelaria , Kuloa , Leucosidea , Platypterocarpus , Trichocladus , Widdringtonia , and Xymalos are Afromontane endemics or near-endemics, as are the plant genera Ardisiandra , Cincinnobotrys , and Stapfiella . Afromontane areas have a wide range of plant communities, including intermediate types. These include: In South Africa , Afromontane forests cover only 0.5% of
152-679: Is also known for the annual Spring Fair where various crafts and flower displays are exhibited. July sees the advent of the Holistic Fair which displays the creative talents of the Mountain folk. Every Friday and Saturday morning the Morning Market is run by the Duchess of Atholl. The town was established in 1886 with the discovery of gold by Carl Ferdinand Haenert. Afromontane The Afromontane regions are subregions of
171-402: Is also reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Due to this, the tree is often overexploited and even effectively exterminated from some parts of the country. The Assegai is best propagated by seed . Remove the fleshing covering of its white berries and plant them in moist soil. Germination takes a few weeks and seedlings grow rapidly, though they should be kept well-watered and out of direct sunlight. It
190-680: The Afrotropical realm , one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms , covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula . The Afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lower-lying areas, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago , as their distribution is analogous to a series of sky islands . Afromontane communities occur above 1,500–2,000 metres (4,900–6,600 ft) elevation near
209-707: The Congo , and Tanzania , and the Eastern Arc highlands of Kenya and Tanzania. Other Afromontane regions include the Drakensberg range of southern Africa, the Cameroon Highlands , and the Cameroon Line volcanoes, including Mount Cameroon , Bioko , and São Tomé . Although some Afromontane enclaves are widely separated, they share a similar mix of plant species which are often distinct from
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#1732798096071228-716: The Haenertsburg area attracts many tourists. It is a common spot for cycling, biking and fishing. Sailing and other watersport take place on nearby Ebenezer Dam. The 20th steepest mountain pass in South Africa, the Magoebaskloof pass, leads one down from the Highveld of the Haenertsburg area to the Lowveld adjoining the Kruger National Park , gaining/losing 446m altitude in 5.15 km. Haenertsburg
247-576: The country's land area. The Afromontane forests occur along the mountainous arc of the Drakensberg Range, from Limpopo Province in the northeast to the Western Cape Province in the southwest. The Afromontane forests generally occur in well-watered areas, including ravines and south-facing slopes. The Afromontane forests are intolerant of fire, and the frequent fires of the surrounding fynbos , savanna , and grassland limit
266-782: The equator, and as low as 300 metres (980 ft) elevation in the Knysna-Amatole montane forests of South Africa . Afromontane forests are generally cooler and more humid than the surrounding lowlands. The Afromontane archipelago mostly follows the East African Rift from the Red Sea to Zimbabwe , with the largest areas in the Ethiopian Highlands , the Albertine Rift Mountains of Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi , Democratic Republic of
285-558: The expansion of the forests. Despite their small area, the Afromontane forests of South Africa produce valuable timber, particularly the real yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius) , Outeniqua yellowwood (Afrocarpus falcatus) , and stinkwood (Ocotea bullata) . Curtisiaceae Curtisia dentata (commonly known as the Assegai tree or Cape lancewood , Afrikaans : Assegaai , Xhosa : Umgxina , Zulu : Umagunda )
304-505: The spears. Its genus name, "Curtisia" , is from the botanist William Curtis (founder of The Botanical Magazine ) and "dentata" is simply the Latin for "toothed", referring to the slightly serrated margins of its leaves. A medium to tall evergreen tree (up to 15 m (49 ft) in height), usually immediately recognizable due to the striking contrast between its dark, glossy foliage and its sprays of cream-white berries. It has
323-429: The sun. However, it can be grown in light shade as well as full sun, and its roots are non-invasive so it can also be planted near to buildings. It does not create much leaf litter, and it is storm-firm due to its deep roots and tough branches. The tree's edible (but bitter) berries also attract birds to the garden. The bark of this tree is widely used as a traditional medicine for curing stomach ailments and diarrhoea. It
342-468: The surrounding lowland regions. Podocarps , of genera Podocarpus and Afrocarpus , are a characteristic tree, along with Prunus africana , Hagenia abyssinica , Juniperus procera , and Olea spp. . In the higher mountains, the Afromontane forest or woodland zone transitions to a higher Afroalpine zone of grasslands, shrublands, or moorlands. The plant families Curtisiaceae and Oliniaceae are Afromontane endemics and family Barbeyaceae
361-581: The tree for a long time and can be very decorative. The Assegai tree grows in the forests of South Africa and Eswatini , ranging from sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft) elevation, and from Cape Town in the south to Limpopo province in the north. It also grows in Afromontane forest in the Eastern Highlands along the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique , and Mount Gorongosa in Mozambique. In deep Afromontane forest it grows into
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