27 Feb, 2008

Forest fever-berry has many functions, providing shade, shelter and medicinal benefits.

Today we headed into the Hawaan Forest, a small but pristine area of coastal forest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is a privilege to have access to these few remaining floral oases in a region that has been extensively developed over the last two decades.

Our attention was first caught by an old forest fever-berry tree, (Croton sylvaticus) on which a bed of emerald-green moss was growing.

Moss on trees in the southern hemisphere tends to grow on the south or shady side of the trunk. It supports a vast array of tiny creatures.

The forest fever-berry can grow up to 30m (98ft) tall, with a dense spreading crown which provides shade and shelter for animals. It has a strong-smelling bark and smooth, dark green leaves. Flowers are tiny and cream in colour. The fever-berry is found in coastal forests, along the banks of streams and in green woodlands.

The leaves, bark and roots of this tree are used to provide a host of medicinal benefits.

On the underside of this particular tree, which was growing in an almost horizontal position, we found a few patches of larva blanket, a type of woven blanket of hair created by a caterpillar, which it collects and cocoons itself in before becoming a larva and then a butterfly.

If one lingers in a forest environment such as this, everything begins to reveal itself in magnificent detail. Every nook and cranny on the bark tells the story of a living creature: exo-skeletons of spiders and beetles, nests of various spiders and other small invertebrates.

– by Paul Myburgh, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch

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