Local Heritage & Champion Trees

Grassy Park Community: Local Heritage & Champion Trees – If ever we had to conserve a stand of trees would have been the grove of Coral Trees which grew across the area which is Misrole Rd Grassy Park during the late 1800`s into the 1940`s.

Mrs . Cupido (90) recounts how they used to play among the ‘forest of orange-flower trees’ as children on the families large grounds in this space. The trees grew across the property and filled the adjacent street blocks. These trees and especially this tree grove was an iconic representation of the rural / Peri-urban character of Grassy Park which has been lost to rapid sub-urbanisation.

The Common Coral & Coastal Coral were popular trees encountered and planted in homegardens throughout Grassy Park in the early 1900`s. The abundant flower nectar attracts numbers of nectar feeding birds like Sugarbirds, Golden Weavers, Starlings, Bulbuls and many more which are abundant in our local neighbourhoods.

These trees were also planted as medicinal trees within the rich local tradition & custom of healing from the garden. Ear Ache, wounds, abscesces, arthritis, and even an anti-coagulant among other treatments. The Coral Tree is an indigenous tree which is seen as a Royal Tree among certain South African cultures and planted on graves and close to watering holes.

You will still see them dotted around older properties in Grassy Park especially our old Wood & Iron homes – Share some pictures here, for Heritage sake

in Community Spirit

grassy park, cape town, south africa

Grassy Park Community – Heritage Preservation Council