My find this week takes us to the indigenous mistbelt forest patches of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. In this photo, the huge base of a Lemonwood (Xymalos monospora) suggests the size of this impressive old tree.
Much of the ancient mistbelt forest has been eradicated to make way for plantations, agriculture and other forms of land use. Many of the remaining forest patches that are now protected were heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries for timber, but in some of these forests old trees still remain.
Posted by Carol
letting nature back in 
September 23, 2018 at 3:17 am
I see you have the same problems we face in keeping some of the ancient old-growth forests intact. I’ve just been to the National Forests where some of our rain forests have been preserved. Some are just small patches that remain, but at least theres’ still remnants we can still visit.
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September 25, 2018 at 5:26 am
Yes, sadly, forests and forest patches in many regions are under threat here too although there are official policies to preserve them.
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September 21, 2018 at 10:05 pm
What an incredible image and scene !!
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September 25, 2018 at 5:23 am
Thank you!
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September 21, 2018 at 5:22 am
What a tree. There’s something really inspiring about immense specimens like this.
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September 21, 2018 at 6:54 pm
Yes, they do seem to have a indefinable power.
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September 21, 2018 at 4:52 am
There’s something special about really big trees. So glad that a few have survived there.
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September 21, 2018 at 6:51 pm
Yes they have a real grandeur and presence that has to be experienced as it cannot really be explained.
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September 21, 2018 at 3:46 am
I bet if I sit and watch it long enough I’m going to see a trogon or a red duiker making an appearance…
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September 21, 2018 at 6:46 pm
Yes there are the lovely Narina Trogons there but blue duiker rather than red duiker in this region – and Samango monkeys too!
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September 21, 2018 at 2:56 am
What stories this tree could tell!
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September 21, 2018 at 6:43 pm
Indeed! There is an ancient Lemonwood in another part of the forest that is hollow in the centre and has coppiced on the outer part. The tree is reputed to be in the region of 2000 years old. It narrowly escaped being taken out by a freak localised tornado that completely flattened a tract of forest a few years ago.
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September 20, 2018 at 11:57 pm
Quite impressive in size.
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September 21, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Yes, one of the larger trees of the forest.
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