September is Abor month, and this year, we celebrated Abor Day on Friday, 6 September. In our park, we planted this year’s tree of the year, the Searsia Leptodictya.
The tree is commonly known as the mountain karee or rock karee in English or the bergkaree or klipkaree in Afrikaans. Searsia leptodictya is a shrub or small tree with an irregularly rounded crown. It sometimes has arching branches, which may give it character in a garden. It can reach up to 9 m but is usually a rather scrubby bush of about 3 to 4 m. The bark is rough and dark brown (somewhat like the karee, Searsia lancea).
Like most other Searsia species, the leaves are divided into three leaflets. These are thinly textured, bright green, narrow, and have toothed margins. If the leaves are crushed, they release a resiny smell. In colder areas, the leaves fall in winter. A useful way to distinguish the mountain karee from other similar Searsia species is that the two lateral leaflets are at right angles to the terminal one. It is also worth noting that cross-pollination between species occurs, especially in cultivation where several Searsia species may be planted together, out of their natural range. Seedlings with a confusing mix of features then appear in the garden.
The flowers are minute and yellowish and carried in sprays from about December to April. Male and female flowers occur on separate trees. The fruits are tiny drupes (single-seeded stone fruits such as plums and cherries) with a flattened, squarish look. The fruit clusters have an attractive, almost multicoloured appearance, varying from yellow to red-brown. They appear from about March to June. Sleptodictya grows quickly (apparently up to 1 m per year), which is part of its popularity as a cultivated plant.
Even though it is still chilly in Somerset West, the gardens are showing off their true beauty, indicating that Spring has sprung in our beautiful estate. Have a look.