ARBOR WEEK AT VERGELEGEN

Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West is renowned for multiple sustainability initiatives and during Arbor Week (first week of September), staff from all divisions gathered to plant 200 trees. The estate is committed to planting 1000 trees every year in the vast 54 hectare arboretum, gardens and other areas where fallen trees need to be replaced.

Despite considerable research and collaboration with universities and tree experts, several of Vergelegen’s trees have been lost due to the destructive polyphagous shot hole borer beetle. In addition, the estate is located in an area prone to strong winds. An intense low pressure system earlier this year led to gale force winds which toppled 120 large trees in the 60 hectare cultural heritage area.

Vergelegen gardens manager Richard Arm selected resilient species for the Arbor Week planting. These included South Africa’s national tree, the Yellowwood, as well as the Milkwood, Water Oak and Turkey Oak. Vergelegen has planted 626 trees to date this year and Arm is confident that the target will be met and surpassed.

Vergelegen shelters a vast array of trees and some outstanding specimens date back centuries, such as an Outeniqua yellowwood, a hollow old English oak, an ancient white mulberry and five enormous Camphor trees in front of the homestead, which were proclaimed national monuments in 1942.

Vergelegen is a provincial heritage site, and is open daily to the public.

www.vergelegen.co.za/gardens