What this site is about and what it is not
TreeBook provides a comprehensive database of trees indigenous to Southern Africa. Tree species are indexed by Scientific name and populated with their key characteristics.
Our focus is on use of trees for beautification and other needs, rather than tree identification.
The site is interactive, allowing visitors to select many different tree attributes, such as "evergreen", "fast growing", "attract birds" and many more. The site then recommends a list of species that meet the visitor's search criteria.
For each species there is a link to additional info from a trustworthy scientific site
How it works
We coded visitor inputs into tree classes for tree selection namely:
-
Constraints
-
Requirements, and
-
Purpose
A Constraint is something you have to live with. You can not easily change it. Constraints are identified as your minimum winter temperature, the size of your garden and the quality of your soil.
A Requirement is something you want. The trees that we recommend should meet your requirement. "evergreen", for example, is a requirement.
Purpose tells us why you want to plant a tree. For example to "attract birds", "provide a screen".
Its Easy! Try it out
Connecting from Mobile? Find many more search options from Desktop
About the author
Dr. Piet Stoker a CALTECH graduandus, is an emeritus Professor of Engineering. He has been cultivating indigenous trees for the past 15 years and was privileged to go on many trips in search of scarce and unique Southern African tree species. He is currently researching new ways to cultivate and grow some of these species.