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Street Trees
The meaning of the name Parkhurst can be broken down into two parts: Park
and Hurst. The Park bit is obvious. It apparently originally referred
to its proximity to Herman Eksteen Park (now the Zoo). The Hurst section
is more obscure - it comes from the olde English and German “Wald,”
which means forest or wood (so named because it was close to Saxon's Wold
(now Saxonwald).
When Parkhurst was named in 1903, there was only bare grassland. All the
trees have been planted by the Council and residents over the past 100
years. Parkhurst now really lives up to its name and its trees are a major
reason why it is so desirable. And we want to keep it that way by stopping
any unnessary cutting down or butchering of the trees in the suburb.
When you get down to it, there are two categories of trees in Parkhurst:
(1) Street Trees: Theses are the trees of whatever size and species, that
are planted on the sidewalks, parks and riverbanks. They belong to the
City and you aren't allowed to prune or do anything to them. Even if you
planted one yourself.
(2) House Trees: These are the trees that are in your garden. You can
do what you want with them - but I would suggest that you try and plant
suitable trees in suitable places to try and prevent them being chopped
down when they grow bigger and become a nuisance.
But, life is not all black and white, so to help you with the grey areas
regarding street trees in Parkhurst, here is an excerpt from the recent
Parkhurst Resident's Guide.
STREET TREE DON'Ts
• You may NOT cut them down, lop off large sections, uproot or poison
them.
• 3 reasons why you shouldn't plant your old Xmas tree in your small
garden or on the pavement: (1) They grow too big; (2) They attract lightning
(70% of trees damaged by lightning in Joburg are pines); (3) They make
the soil underneath acid which prevents many other plants and grass from
growing.
• Don't plant alien invader species like oleander, bluegums, jacarandas,
etc.
• Don't plant trees too close to walls, swimming pools and house
foundations - they look nice when they are small, but can grow into a
major headache later on.
STREET TREE DO's
• Trim the small branches that cause an obstruction, overhang your
pool or touch your electric fence.
• Plant a suitable indigenous tree instead of an exotic tree.
• Report a damaged street tree to City Parks, especially if it is
blocking a road or damaging power and/or telephone lines.
• Put up with the leaves for 6 weeks or so in autumn.
• Use the leaves as a mulch on flower beds to help save water loss
in the dry winter months.
• Recognise that the trees are adding significant value to both
your property value and your lifestyle.
Report Problem Trees to Joburg Connect on 375-5555 (all hours) or on the
City Parks hotline 712-6600 (office hours). If it is an emergency tell
the operator and it will be prioritised.
If you want to cut down or trim a street tree, then call Tim Truluck (Chair
of Environment Sub-Committee) - 442-5201.
Contact
the PVRA Environment Chair
Tim Truluck,
072-238-2790,
Tel/Fax: 442-52015201, E-mail
.