The Outeniqua Yellowwood is an evergreen conifer often growing up to about 45 meters tall, but known to reach 60 m. At higher elevations and in exposed, coastal habitat it rarely exceeds 25 m tall. The trunk can be 2 to 3 m wide, and is grey-brown to reddish. It is smooth and ridged on young stems, but increasingly flaky on older trunks.
The leaves are arranged in spirals on the branches. They are small and narrow, up to 4.5 cm long by about 6 mm wide. They are green to yellowish, hairless, and leathery and somewhat waxy in texture.
It is a dioecious species, with male and female structures on separate plants. The male cone is brown with spiralling scales and measures 5 to 15 mm long by 3 mm wide. It grows from the leaf axils. The female cone has one scale bearing one seed about 1 to 2 cm long. The grey-green seed is drupe-like with a woody coat covered in a fleshy, resinous skin.
Some of the largest individuals occur in the Knysna-Amatole montane forests, where some specimens are over 1,000 years old.
Did you know?: The Outeniqua Yellowwood is a relative of the South African National Tree, the Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), found from Table Mountain, along the southern and Eastern Cape coast, in the ravines of the Drakensberg up to the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg in Limpopo.
Read more: www.southafrica.info/about/history/national-symbols.htm#.Vcuq8Pmqqko#ixzz3idO7CwfT
King Edward VII Big Tree
This forest giant is one of the largest and oldest of several enormous Outeniqua Yellowwoods growing in the Knysna area. With a crown spread of 35.6 m and a bole circumference of 7 m, it towers 36.9 m above the forest floor.
Originally known as Templeman's Tree, after the woodcutter who bought it, the tree was never felled because it was simply too big to handle. It was renamed after King Edward VII when a delegation of the British Parliamentary Association was treated to a lunch at the tree in 1924.
Its age is estimated to be anywhere between 650 and 800 years old and is one of the few giant trees left after the unsustainable method of tree harvesting was stopped in 1939.
The picnic site: In the shade of one of the biggest and oldest Outeniqua Yellowood trees in the forest, a handful of secluded picnic spots with benches, tables and braai facilities in the heart of the forest can be found.
Forest Walk: There is an easy, short 450m circular forest walk here which follows a wooden boardwalk. This walk is wheelchair and baby push car friendly.
Facilities: Water, bush toilet, tables and braai areas (take your own braai grid)
Permits/Costs: There is a control boom as you turn into the picnic site which is normally unmanned out of season. In season a minimal fee is charged for use of the picnic area.
If you want to do the Elephant Hiking Trail please notify them at the boom [or obtain a permit from the Diepwalle Forestry Station].
Directions: From Knysna take the N2 towards Plettenberg Bay. About 4km from Knysna take the R339 Uniondale turnoff to the left and follow this road for 15.8km and take the turnoff at the control boom to the left [See Way Point for Parking].
Cache: The container is a camouflaged honey bottle containing a log sheet [please replace it carefully in the zip lock bag], pencil and sharpener. Please hide the container carefully as found.
There is space for small items of SWAG/trackables.