A Wild Teak tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) – better known as a Kiaat tree – growing on Mountainlands has just claimed the title as South Africa’s biggest measured Kiaat. We have admired this magnificent tree for years, often wondering how it would compare to others across the country and we could not be happier with the result.
Dr. Theunis Morgenthal from the Dendrological Society of South Africa visited Mountainlands yesterday to measure this giant. Trees are ranked using a size index based on trunk diameter at chest height, total height, and crown spread. Our Mountainlands Kiaat achieved a remarkable size index of 87.9, placing it firmly in first position. The runner-up, a tree on a farm in the Tzaneen area, comes in at 61.6.
The National Register of Big Trees of South Africa was established in 1982 by the Dendrological Society of South Africa (DSSA) to identify, measure, and celebrate the largest indigenous trees in the region. More than 220 trees have been registered to date—including several from Botswana. Each one is evaluated using the same size index that crowned our Mountainlands Kiaat as the new national champion.
Kiaat is a protected species and to have the biggest one measured in South Africa thriving right on Mountainlands is a joyful reminder of the natural wonders we are privileged to be the custodians of.
