The oak trees of the Cape Winelands are almost as famous as the Cape Dutch gables and even though they are not indigenous, they are treasured for their cool summer shade, colourful autumn display and minimalist winter charm, not to mention the fact that the old trees have been part of the local history for much longer than all of us who currently enjoy their beauty. But there is so much more to these magnificent trees!
As I was enjoying the winter sun after all the rainy days, I was struck by the unexpected beauty of bare oak tree branches against the stark white of the Cape Dutch architecture on La Motte and it made me think about these special trees. We have eliminated invasive and alien vegetation on the estate, but of course, kept the beautiful historic oak trees that made their way to the farm alongside the French Huguenots who built the historic buildings and planted La Motte’s first vineyards. In those days, no one took a picture and posted the planting of a tree on Facebook, so today, we are not exactly sure about the age and origin of the trees on La Motte, but the age-old oaks of the Winelands have an interesting story to tell and are an important part of our heritage.
Oak at the Cape, an article by D. G. M. Donald, Professor of Silviculture at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Stellenbosch, shared some of the history of oak trees at the Cape. Initially the Quercus robur oak was introduced by Jan Van Riebeeck (1656). Simon van der Stel and his son, Willem Adriaan, imported and planted more trees between 1679 and 1706 and as we’ve been taught in history lessons many moons ago, are responsible for the thousands of oak trees established in and around Cape Town and the Winelands over that period. Timber supply was the initial reason , but the trees never lived up to that expectation as the planks developed defects upon air drying. The trees did, however, provide shade and shelter and plantings continued.
Stellenbosch, also known as Eikestad (Oak city), planted its first oak as a street tree in 1701, a gift from Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel to Landdrost Ditmars of Stellenbosch. “The trees, ‘for the benefit of the Stellenbosch Community’, were ‘to be planted on the public streets wherever possible’. Unfortunately, most of these initial trees were felled to fill municipal coffers and the oldest trees in Stellenbosch today are probably those planted to replace the initial plantings. Because of heart rot in the old trees, it is difficult to determine their age but the largest trees in Dorp Street are expected to be around 200 years old.
My attempts to find out more about the oaks in the Franschhoek Valley, introduced a wonderful story that I would love to share. According to legend, one of the French Huguenot refugees, Jean Gardiol, who sailed to the Cape in 1688, brought six acorns from France with him. He planted them on the farm La Cotte in Franschhoek that was allotted to him in 1694. (Read more about Franschhoek’s French Huguenot heritage) And although these oaks might not have made the same impact on the bigger Cape and Winelands area as the ones imported by the Dutch governors, they played an important role in another part of history.
You might know about the famous Battle of the Somme (1916) that took place during World War I. (Read more) This battle has been recorded as one of the most destructive battles in history. The battlefield was a relative restricted space of 18 miles around the Somme river and in the dense forest of Delville Wood. The result of this battle was more than a million casualties and 300,000 fatalities. A series of engagements known as the Battle of Delville Wood between 15 July and 3 September 1916, also led to the destruction of the Delville Wood forest – only one hornbeam tree survived. Three battalions of the 1st South African Brigade, part of the Allies, were part of this deadly battle. (Read more) And this is how this war story relates to the oak trees of the Cape.
At the end of the War, Commonwealth countries wanted to commemorate fallen troops with National Memorials. South Africa’s military attaché in London at the time, Colonel Helbert, visited the Somme and was struck by the devastation of Delville Wood as the once thick and dense forest was a desolated landscape of shell holes, broken trees and remains of trenches. In 1920, the South African Government purchased the 63 hectares of Delville Wood and decided to have it replanted. The South African Department of Forestry was to carry out the replanting and the story goes that a certain M. Hockvelden, stationed at La Motte Forestry in Franschhoek knew about the oak trees on La Cotte farm that germinated from the six acorns brough from France by French Huguenot Jean Gardiol. He collected some of these acorns and they were used to plant the double rows of oaks in Delville Wood flanking the South African National Memorial that was unveiled there in 1926. (Read more)
If trees could talk! We know that they play an intrinsic role in our daily lives, the ecology and economy. They purify water and air, they regulate climate and soil fertility, they provide a home and food to many in various ways and they have medicinal and cultural value.
In today’s hurried life, perhaps while we still struggle to hear what trees have to say, we should urge ourselves to enjoy their calm beauty and indulge in a few minutes under a tree. They say trees are essential for mental and physical well-being, they reduce stress, boost mood and enhance cognitive function. (Read more) What’s not to love about that?
Click here to read more and see pictures of Delville Wood today.