The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees

Title: The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees
Author: Willem Frost
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Nature
Cape Town, South Africa 2024
ISBN 9781775848875 / ISBN 978-1-77-584887-5
Softcover, 19 x 25 cm, 320 pages, throughout colour photos

About: The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees

The purpose of this book, The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees, is to draw attention to the rich diversity and beauty of the trees that surround us in this country; to help stimulate an interest in the study of trees; to encourage an appreciation for our indigenous trees; to provide a brief introduction to the remarkable physiology and behaviour of trees; and to promote the conservation of our floral heritage. This book is therefore not a field guide or scientific reference work. Nor is it meant to help the reader identify trees, although some of the photographs and descriptions may be useful in this regard. Part One of the book deals largely with the behaviour and physiology of trees.

In undertaking research for The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees, Willem Frost soon became aware of how little studied this topic was. Not surprisingly, a great deal more study of trees has been undertaken in the northern hemisphere. But such research can be very useful, nonetheless, because the findings can be extrapolated to our own species. The underlying assumption is that the various processes function in a similar way irrespective of species, which is usually (but not always) the case. So, the purpose of Part One is to lift the lid just a little on the fascinating ways in which trees work and thereby stimulate some interest in the reader.

Part Two showcases a small selection of our indigenous species, and aims to illustrate the diversity, characteristics and beauty of South African trees. There are many other remarkable trees to be found in the country - the ones that made it into this book are simply those that made an impression on the author, variously for their beauty, or the extent to which they characterise the essence of Africa, or for their successful and remarkable adaptation to a specific habitat, or for some distinctive attribute such as the quality of the wood. Species accounts are organised by family and include the most popular common names used in various local languages.

Willem Frost is a game rancher, writer and amateur dendrologist with a strong commitment to conservation through sustainable use. He has spent decades in the African bush, exploring, studying and photographing the local fauna and flora. He now lives in South Africa's bushveld region, in Goedgedacht, on the Matlabas River near its confluence with the Limpopo.

Content: The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees

FOREWORD
PREFACE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
PART ONE
THE WORLD OF TREES
What is a tree?
The importance of trees
The oldest, tallest and largest
Biomes
Taxonomy
How trees function
Mystical, magical and ceremonial trees
Trees and religion
Plant intelligence
PART TWO
SOUTH AFRICAN TREES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PICTURE CREDITS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GLOSSARY
SUBJECT INDEX
INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES
INDEX TO COMMON NAMES